The first seminar held in the morning, Top Tips for Social Media, attracted a range of volunteer co-ordinators and other charity professionals keen to get to grips with Twitter and the like. The presenter was Lilach Bullock, Co-Founder of digital marketing agency Comms Axis. Lilach was listed as one of Forbes’ most influential women in social media and, boasting an 84,000-strong following on Twitter, she was the perfect choice to talk and answer questions about everything from trending to tagging.
Samantha Tucker, a researcher and administrator at the charity Hadassah remarked, “Lilach’s social media tips identified areas for improvement and I have already made a difference. She told me to give our audience value... We’re a medical charity, so interesting facts and articles from other sources aren’t too hard to come by, and importantly they are what people want. Thank you JVN and Lilach!”
After lunch, the second seminar The True Value of Retirement was presented by JVN stalwarts Ros Preston OBE and Colin Stodel. Ros has been President of JVN since its
inception in 2008 and calls herself the ‘professional volunteer’; Colin has been volunteering on a weekly basis at JVN, helping to place volunteers in suitable roles, since 2013. In the seminar, pitched to retired individuals and those approaching retirement, Colin reflected on his own experiences of volunteering as a retiree. He advised the audience, “You as a volunteer must be clear on how much time you wish to devote and exactly what is expected of you. The better charities will train and re-train the volunteer.”
Lia Bogod, JVN Volunteer Development Manager, said: “It is extremely important to show people that there’s more to life after work and that experience in a profession can be of real value to a charity. Volunteering is not only something that can help fill up one’s free time but is also a way of making a real difference in the community.”
If you want to find out more about JVN or suggest a future seminar topic, we’d love to hear from you! Please call the office on 020 8203 6427 ext. 2 or e-mail Lia at lia@jvn.org.uk. Or if you are inspired to find a volunteering role tailored to your interests and skills, register as a volunteer with JVN to search from hundreds of Jewish and non-Jewish volunteering opportunities nationwide.
