The My Community Starter is a brand new initiative from Zurich. It’s a free and entirely unique online resource for people who want to get involved in organising smaller, more straightforward community activities.
There are thousands of people across the UK who want to help others directly or organise something for the good of their neighbourhood. My Community Starter can help them make a difference in their local community.
The site is aimed at people who would like to get involved, or are already involved, in simple, straightforward community activities and want a helping hand. Zurich is also keen to help all those who have an active role in social inclusion, so we would like you to signpost to My Community Starter to encourage your communities to get involved. Over the coming weeks we will be introducing My Community Starter to our customers and suggesting ways in which they can use it to inspire and enable community activities.
If you would like to promote My Community Starter to your communities using posters and web links or if you would like to find out more information, please contact kristina.pope@uk.zurich.com
We looked at the barriers that stood in the way to volunteering in local communities, and have created a website that provides some guidance and information that might be helpful to would be volunteers to get started. It includes some guidance on planning, legal, health and safety and insurance considerations, as well as handy information sheets which may help to make community activities a success. There’s also a useful tool that will create a free "My Community Starter" pack adapted to the specific activities that people want to set up.
Paul Emery, Head of Community and Social Organisations at Zurich says “Whatever it's called there will be local service reform with individuals and communities taking on more responsibility for what happens in their street, how it happens and who does it.
The site will help individuals and small groups of volunteers, come together and start to do more in the places where they live for their own benefit and for those around them. For the first time, the site harnesses this energy by helping to make it straightforward for people to understand what they CAN do, inspiring them to act and importantly providing some guidance and information to help them do it."
So if you or someone you know is thinking of starting an activity within your local area or are looking to develop one that is already in place – the My Community Starter can help – so why not visit the site for yourself today or pass on the details to friends, colleagues and your community?
www.mycommunitystarter.co.uk
