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Welcome to August's Volunteer Network News
We hope you're enjoying the sunny summer holidays and that all-important vitamin D.
Coming up on Tuesday 30 August is an online Q&A on nutrition – the latest from our Bone Matters' series.
Tune in on the webpage on the day to hear from leading experts about how eating and drinking the right things can support your bone health at every stage of your life.
We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to seeing you at our online volunteer open evening in September.
Best wishes,
Helen, Fiona, and Susan
Volunteering & Public Engagement Team
ROS champions in action
Seven of our volunteers joined us for a fantastic two days at The Neasden Health Fair in July. Hosted at the Neasden Temple in London, the fair was part of the Festival of Inspiration, a 10-day event to mark the birth centenary of the temple’s creator.
It was a great opportunity to talk to people about osteoporosis and the information and support available at the ROS – for those living with osteoporosis or just wanting to look after their bone health. Volunteers Jan and Trisha gave excellent presentations. Thank you both, and to everyone who got involved.
“What a fantastic day! The presentation went well, and Aarti, one of the festival organisers, invited me to join her in her prayers at the temple. It was very special, and she also gave me a tour. We were very well looked after, and Aarti and the team made us feel like special guests” Jan
Is there a local event you’d like to attend for the ROS? Whether it’s running a stand or giving a short talk, there are lots of ways you can raise awareness of osteoporosis and bone health in the community.
We’ve put together resources to help you get started. Email us to find out more.
Online volunteer open evening - 8 September at 6pm
Join us online on Thursday 8 September, 6pm to meet the team and find out how you can get involved as an ROS volunteer.
You’ll hear from some of our existing volunteers about the ways they contribute to improving people’s bone health and beating osteoporosis.
Our members and volunteers play a vital role in the ROS – whether that’s connecting with others living with osteoporosis through our network of support groups or contributing to conversations with policymakers to demand change on a national scale.
It’s great to hear from volunteers, like Gill, on why they enjoy being a part of team ROS:
“It feels so rewarding to help other people and I get a huge amount of satisfaction from volunteering. I've also learned a lot more about osteoporosis, which has boosted my confidence and helped me to better manage my own bone health”.
The event will be held on Microsoft Teams. To come along, please book your place on Eventbrite.
Celebrate World Osteoporosis Day 2022!
World Osteoporosis Day is fast approaching on Thursday 20 October. We’re asking our local support groups and volunteers to get together (in person or online) to celebrate the day. Whether it’s a tea party, ‘Coffee and Connect’ or ‘CAMEO’ (come and meet each other) session, everyone can get involved.
Let us know what you have planned for the day so we can share it on our social media. 
We'll also be launching a new online risk checker to help people understand their risk of osteoporosis and learn more about bone health. We’ll be looking to you to help us spread the word, and encourage your friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues to use the tool and future-proof their bone health.
We’ll be sending you all the information you’ll need to talk about the risk checker, so look out for more details coming soon.
Volunteer at our new office
We recently moved our office to the centre of Bath to help reach more people and be more visible and accessible to our community.
We’re looking for local volunteers to join us in the office, helping us equip people with practical information and support to take action on their bone health.
In the role, you’ll be helping our membership and Helpline teams respond to information requests, updating our membership database, supporting our major events, and more.
The hours and days are flexible, and we provide support, training and out of pocket expenses within the greater Bath region.
If this sounds like the role for you, please get in touch for more details.
Coming up - volunteers' survey and Bone Matters' webinar
Annual volunteers' survey
We'll be asking you to take part in our annual online survey again this autumn.
This is a chance to feedback on your volunteer experiences and help us understand what we’re doing well and what we can do better.
This year, you’ll receive the link to the survey separately, so do look out for it.
You’ll see some questions about diversity in the survey. We know from our member research that we have work to do in reaching men and people from ethnic minorities.
Your responses will help us learn more about our volunteers and ensure everyone is represented in our community. Together, we’ll find ways to reach even more people with our information and support.
We’ll be on hand to help with any questions you have about the survey.
Bone Matters' webinar - Tuesday 20 September
Save the date for this Bone Matters' webinar on living well with fractures. You'll hear from leading experts on how to live with osteoporosis and broken bones, including practical advice and ways to manage pain.
More information, including the booking link will be available on the webpage soon, so do check back.
Say hello to our face-to-face fundraisers
We’ve launched our first face-to-face fundraising campaign to encourage more people to support the ROS with a regular monthly gift.
The team of fundraisers are working across London and the home counties, at private sites including supermarkets, train stations and garden centres.
One of our online Community Presenter volunteers delivered training to the fundraisers as part of their induction to help them talk confidently about our work. They started at Tesco in Acton, talking to shoppers and passers-by about how their support will change lives. Whether that’s fuelling pioneering research or ensuring our vital Helpline continues to be there - for anyone who needs it.
Encouraging more people to support the ROS is so important. Together we can beat osteoporosis.
Do look out for our fundraisers at various locations over the coming months. For more information, visit our Face-to-face fundraising FAQs page or get in touch at supporters@theros.org.uk
Thank you for reading VNN.
If you’ve got a story to share or would like to see something featured, please get in touch.
