1. COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEERS
PARTNERS TOOLKIT

2. CONTENTS Introduction to Community Reserve Volunteer Toolkit
Introduction to the Community Reserve Volunteer Program
Sign Up Process
Social Media
Simon’s blog post
Red Cross blog post
Sample Tweets
Sharing Red Cross social content
Newsletter and Website Content
Sample Website Content
Testimonials
10 Reasons to become a community reserve volunteer
Homepage content
Newsletter copy
Other assets to spread the word
Poster
Post Card
Business Card
Appendix
Our Social Channels
Images

3. COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT
This toolkit has been created to help our partners spread the word about the new way of volunteering launched by the British Red Cross. We have provided sample materials and assets that can be used across channels in order to drive more people to our landing page to sign up to become a community reserve volunteer. We have included recommendations for best practice to ensure you get the most out of the assets supplied. If you have any questions, please contact:

4. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEERS

5. COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEERS
WHY DO WE NEED COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEERS? When a major crisis hits, members of the public are often quick to offer their support. By recruiting community reserve volunteers, the British Red Cross can harness the goodwill of the public in advance of a crisis, so that when an emergency happens, those registered in that area can play an active and immediate role in helping. WHO CAN BECOME A COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEER? Anyone who wants to help in a crisis, as long as they are over 18 and living in the UK. WHAT SORT OF SKILLS DOES A COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEER NEED? No special skills are required.
WHAT WILL A COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEER DO DURING AN EMERGENCY?
A community reserve volunteer will be contacted via text message and can decide to help or not.
They will be deployed to a determined area and assist regular Red Cross volunteers with practical tasks relevant to the crisis, like preparing kit and equipment, filling sandbags, sorting supplies and making refreshments.
For more information, take a look at our FAQ’s 

6. SIGN UP PROCESS
Potential reserves should always be directed to this site. They will be able to watch a short training video and start the sign up process. The sign up process has 18 short steps with a mix of questions about personal information and contact details as well as questions with the aim to inform potential volunteers about the role (what is expected of them, health and safety, etc.) The entire process should not take more than 10 minutes.

7. SOCIAL MEDIA

8. MAKE NOISE ON SOCIAL
The best way to make a lot of noise and reach a lot of people is using social media.
We have blogs and our landing page to direct people to depending on whether they want more information or are ready to sign up.
We have also prepared some sample posts to make sharing this content even easier.
Refer to the appendix for some approved imagery that can be used across social.
Share the Head of Crisis Response, Simon Lewis’ LinkedIn Blog post on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
Use one of our sample tweets to direct people to the landing page.
Share our blog from the British Red Cross website on Twitter or Facebook.
Share our posts on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

9. SIMON’S BLOG POST
Share the British Red Cross Head of Crisis Response, Simon Lewis’ LinkedIn blog for more information on the program.
Sample Tweet:
@Simon_Lewis7 introduces a new way to volunteer with
Sample Facebook Post:
In the wake of the series of large scale emergencies witnessed by the UK in the last few years, has created a quick and simple way to prepare and make a huge difference when a crisis strikes in your area. The Head of Crisis Response, Simon Lewis, introduces the community reserve volunteers here.
Best Practice:
Tag the British Red Cross on Facebook or Twitter.

10. THE RED CROSS BLOG
Share the British Red Cross blog on the Community Reserve Volunteer program for more information, including several testimonials from existing community reserve volunteers.
Sample Tweet:
@BritishRedCross launches a new way to volunteer. Find out more about how you can make a difference in a crisis
Sample Facebook Post:
You don’t need any special skills to become a community reserve volunteer, you just need the desire to help your community when crisis strikes. Meet four volunteers who all signed up for very different reasons but are all equally prepared to make a huge difference when it counts.
Best Practice:
Tag the British Red Cross on Facebook or Twitter.

11. SAMPLE TWEETS
If you would like to post tweets directly from your account, here are a few example tweets to use:
You can make a difference when crisis strikes near you. Sign up as a community reserve
Best Practice:
Tag the British Red Cross on Facebook or Twitter.
Direct to the landing page
It takes 10 mins to be ready to help in your area during a crisis. Sign up to make a difference

12. SAMPLE FACEBOOK POSTS
If you would like to post on Facebook directly from your account, here are a few example posts to use:
“I liked the idea of helping people and this is something that’s very relevant to what I want to do eventually, as I want to go into policing,” – Michael, 20, Winchester
You can make a difference when crisis strikes near you. Sign up as a community reserve
Best Practice:
Tag the British Red Cross on Facebook .
Direct to the landing page
Use one of the images provided in the appendix to support the posts
“It was very straight-forward. Perfect. I couldn’t fault it. Sometimes these online processes can take ages and you think - I’m going to be forever here – but this was all fine!” – George, 77, Southampton
It only takes 10 mins to be ready to help in your area during a crisis. Sign up and make a difference

13. WEBSITE AND NEWSLETTER
CONTENT

14. WEBSITE SAMPLE CONTENT
Volunteer Testimonials:
During the pilot phase of the program we had several hundred people sign up to become community reserve volunteers.
We hosted an exercise in Netley, Hampshire in October 2016 to test the concept in advance of the national launch.
We had volunteers ranging from 18 to over 60 years old, each with a unique reason for wanting to take part in this new initiative. We collected a few of these stories to help spread the word and demonstrate that anyone can make a difference in a crisis, you just have to be prepared. One simple and quick way to prepare is to sign up as a community reserve volunteer.
Meet some of our volunteers on the following pages.

15. WEBSITE SAMPLE CONTENT
Taran’s Story:
Taran Vernon, 45, from Farnham, recently moved back to the area with her family. The mother-of-two is lucky to be alive after experiencing a disaster first hand when the Nepal earthquake struck as she took part in a charity hike at Everest. As Taran and her group left Nepal they donated all their belongings, from rucksacks to clothing, to the people affected and at this stage international aid was also starting to come in. Since then she has done more fundraising for Nepal and says that her experiences there definitely influenced her decision to sign up as a Community Reserve Volunteer with the Red Cross in the UK. “That’s why I connected with this so much,” she explains, “It’s something that definitely hit a nerve. It’s been great today. Very inspiring and I would like to be more involved in some way and perhaps join a deployment team overseas one day.”

16. WEBSITE SAMPLE CONTENT
Babs and George’s Story
Babs, 65, a retired hairdresser, and husband George Biddle, 77, a retired PE teacher, are from Southampton and also volunteer for a local organisation supporting homeless people. They've signed up as Community Reserve Volunteers. Babs says: “We’ve been very lucky with our lives and we want to give back to other people. We made a good living, paid the mortgage and we’re both in good health.”
They found the sign up really user-friendly and quick. George says: “It was very straight-forward. Perfect. I couldn’t fault it. Sometimes these online processes can take ages and you think - I’m going to be forever here – but this was all fine!”

17. WEBSITE SAMPLE CONTENT
Michael’s Story
Michael Asante, 20, a student from Winchester, has also signed-up as a community reserve volunteer.
“I liked the idea of helping people and this is something that’s very relevant to what I want to do eventually, as I want to go into policing,”
“I think there’s a real satisfaction that comes from helping others, too.”

18. WEBSITE SAMPLE CONTENT
10 reasons to become a community reserve volunteer:
It never hurts to be prepared!
You can help your local area when they most need you.
You can help your area recover faster from a crisis by being prepared.
It only takes 10 minutes to sign up.
You may only be called on once a year, meaning you have 364 days to help in other ways.
You can train online today.
You don’t need any special skills to join.
We will only contact you via text when we need you and you can decide to reply or not.
Make new friends within your community.
You can make a huge difference during a crisis.

19. HOMEPAGE COPY
Homepage banners or carousels are a great way to catch people’s eyes on a website.
We have some imagery available to use for these purposes, which can be found in the appendix.
Copy should be short and snappy and direct people to the Community Reserve Volunteers landing page.
Sample Copy:
If a crisis strikes, you can help
Become a community reserve volunteer
to help your local area during an emergency.
SIGN UP NOW
If a crisis strikes, you can help

20. NEWSLETTERS
Why not spread the word to the rest of your organisation with a newsletter that not only introduces the Community Reserve Volunteer program but also inspires people to go sign up today.
Make sure to include hyperlinks to the landing page within your newsletter.
Find suggested images in the appendix.
You don’t have to be a firefighter to make a difference in a crisis.
In the last few years the UK has witnessed several large-scale emergencies; from severe flooding in Somerset, to the devastating Grenfell Tower fire. When crises like these hit, people naturally want to help, but it’s not always clear how they can. This is why the British Red Cross has launched a new volunteering program.
Introducing Community Reserve Volunteers
By signing up in advance you will be helping your local community better prepare for an emergency. You will receive a text message when an emergency happens in your local area, you only need to respond if you are available to help.
It’s the little acts of kindness that make a real difference to people in their time of need. Preparing kit, filling sandbags, sorting donations

21. SAMPLE NEWSLETTER COPY
Subject: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY. JOIN THE COMMUNITY RESERVE VOLUNTEERS!
You don’t have to be a firefighter to make a difference in a crisis.
In the last few years the UK has witnessed several large-scale emergencies; from severe flooding in Somerset, to the devastating Grenfell Tower fire. When crises like these hit, people naturally want to help, but it’s not always clear how they can. This is why the British Red Cross has launched a new volunteering program.
Introducing Community Reserve Volunteers
By signing up in advance you will be helping your local community better prepare for an emergency. You will receive a text message when an emergency happens in your local area, you only need to respond if you are available to help.
It’s the little acts of kindness that make a real difference to people in their time of need. Preparing kit, filling sandbags, sorting donations or providing refreshments are all simple tasks which will go a long way in the event of a crisis.
It only takes ten minutes to sign up here. After you watch a short video and fill out a form you will be ready to help when a crisis strikes.
Become a community reserve volunteer today!

22. OTHER ASSETS TO SPREAD THE WORD
We have prepared some physical marketing collateral to help promote the launch of the Community Reserve Volunteer program. There is a limited supply so please contact to order yours.

23. OTHER AVAILABLE ASSETS

24. POSTER Asset Type: Poster Size: A3 Messaging: Are you ready to help?
You don’t have to be a firefighter to make a difference. Simple acts of kindness, like filling sandbags or sorting food for a flooded community, can be a huge help in times of crisis.
It only takes 10 minutes to sign up as a community reserve volunteer.
Go to redcross.org.uk/reserves

25. POST CARDS Asset Type: Post Card Size: A6 Messaging: Front:
Are you ready to help?
Become a community reserve volunteer
Back:
Simple acts of kindness like filling sandbags or sorting donations could make a huge difference if crisis strikes in your area.
Sign up to be a community reserve volunteer with the British Red Cross and help your community when it counts. No specialist skills or long-term commitment required.
It only takes 10 minutes and you can do it online today.
Go to redcross.org.uk/reserves

26. BUSINESS CARDS Asset Type: Business Card Size: 3.5 in x 2 in
Messaging:
Front
Become a community reserve volunteer
Be there to help your community if an emergency hits
Back
Simple acts of kindness like filling sandbags can be a huge help in times of crisis.
It only takes 10 minutes to sign up as a community reserve volunteer.
Redcross.org.uk/reserves

27. APPENDIX

28. OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
British Red Cross Please share the Blog from our Linkedin page. Always direct people to the Reserves landing page.
@BritishRedCross
When sharing content from Twitter please mention us in your tweet. Always direct people to the Reserves landing page.
British Red Cross
When sharing content from Facebook please mention us in your post. Always direct people to the Reserves landing page.
@BritishRedCross
When sharing content from Instagram please mention us in your post.

29. IMAGERY
Please use these images responsibly. Be sure to credit the photographer and the individual in the image, this information is provided on each indiviual image on the following pages. If you have any doubts about usage please contact:

30. VOLUNTEER IMAGERY Michael Asante Photo: Andrew Hasson/UNP Taran Vernon
George and Babs Biddle
Photo: Andrew Hasson/UNP
Lianda Bennet
Photo: Andrew Hasson/UNP

31. ADDITIONAL IMAGERY Photo: Andrew Hasson/UNP Photo: Andrew Hasson/UNP
Sharon Stephens
Photo: Andrew Hasson/UNP