Reading Voluntary Action
35-39 London Street
Reading, Berks
RG1 4PS
01189 584 849
info@readinglink.org.uk

Your last chance to give your views on what you think about your local health and social care provision.

At the end of August 2010, the Reading LINk ongoing survey will come to a close. If you wish to complete a 10 minute survey, please click on the Home page now, and we will make sure that your views count.

Getting the Reading community involved
in local Health and Social Care decisions

Who are the LINk?

Reading LINk has been set up to give the Reading Communities a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered.

Reading LINk Board:

The following Board members, widely representing Reading communities and with diverse experiences, were appointed at the Reading LINk AGM in Oct 2009:

Sheila Booth John Fisher Tony Hall

Mary Jacobs Rev'd John Rogers Nina Sethi

John Shaw David Shepherd Janet Wignall

The Reference Group

Reading LINk held events in July 2008 and Jan 2009 (Stakeholders Event), July 2009 (Diabetes Event) and Dec 2009 (Pilot Community drop-in session) encouraging people to give feedback and/or join its Reference Group. A further event was held in July 2010 encouraging people to become more actively involved in the activities of the LINk.

The Reference Group is an informal group of people who have expressed an interest in the activities of the Reading LINk. Some members have asked to be kept informed of activities, whilst some have advised they would like to participate. This may be working as part of a group reviewing an issue or giving feedback more generally on a health or social care matter.

For issues/concerns that are referred to the LINk, that require further research or the LINk Board decide to take the issue forward, these are allocated to the project groups called Task and Finish Groups. Each group would normally comprise of a LINk Board member, possibly the referrer and ideally volunteers from the Reference Group or local community, supported by LINk Host staff. The group would then agree a task list to progress each project appropriately.

Reading Voluntary Action (RVA)

As part of a country wide procurement process Reading Voluntary Action (RVA) were selected in October 2008, by Reading Borough Council to act as the facilitators of the Reading LINk (known as the host organisation).

The activities RVA carry out are:

Telling the community about the LINk
Encouraging people to get involved
Helping to find out people's views
Day-to-day running of the LINk
Helping Reading LINk develop its aims
Managing finances