Networks / E-Forums

BCVS e-forums are intended to serve two overall needs which have been identified at various meetings.

1. THEMED E-FORUMS

These are themed around the issues listed on the left and provide a means by which people involved in running voluntary groups can exchange ideas and information with others involved in related work. E-forums have been established dealing with whatever theme the sector views appropriate. The e forums are open to representatives (either paid staff or volunteers) of any local Voluntary Sector organisation that works in Bournemouth. To join an e-forum please complete the application form.

2. GROUPS AND COMMITTEES CONVENED BY STATUTORY AGENCIES

There are a significant number of groups and committees on which the voluntary sector is represented. There is a need for the representatives to be able to communicate quickly and efficiently with those others in the sector who wish to have their views at that particular forum heard. These will be placed in the most appropriate themed group enabling representatives to send minutes of meetings to other interested groups and for people to discuss the issues raised. (Representatives can also post minutes and other documents to the web site.)

OTHER INITIATIVES

Bournemouth Borough Council is considering various IT solutions to assist it with communicating with the local population in general and in particular with the voluntary sector. BCVS has no intention, or desire, to compete with this process and sees the two facilities complementing each other. It is intended that the facility provided by BCVS will enable voluntary groups to take part in discussions exclusively amongst themselves and then appointed representatives can take forward the collective voice as appropriate.

An entirely separate initiative may enable small voluntary groups to establish themselves with a web presence and BCVS may be involved in assisting this process but this is not connected with the discussion forums here.

BPFOG-

Many of the voluntary groups in Bournemouth are already members of Bournemouth & Poole Fundraising Opportunities Group. This is an established and effective means of sharing information about funding news. If you would like further information about BPFOG please contact us.

The pages for each forum include news and information relevant to those groups. If you have items which you would like added please e-mail us.

Please click the link on the left for details of how the e-forums work.

OPERATION OF BCVS E-FORUMS

All of the e-forums which arise from this correspondence will be hosted by BCVS.

Once your interest is registered you will receive an e-mail confirming that you have been added to that forum. Your e-mail address will be added to a group on our system. BCVS will not add people to a group if it is believed they are inappropriate.

Messages will be added to the particular forum in question and an e-mail notification sent to all members of that forum.

Where a message relates to an ongoing discussion the earlier entries relating to that discussion will be available via the forum member pages.

Members' e-mail addresses will not be disclosed to other group members without express permission.

BCVS staff will do their best to monitor messages but do not guarantee to read everything in detail and ask everyone to use language at all times which will not cause offence to any reader. Users are asked to contact BCVS if they are offended or otherwise unhappy about anything circulated or made available on the web site.

Terms of reference and minutes of meetings can be made available on pages of the BCVS web site which are open to view by anyone accessing the web. This will enable people who may be interested in a particular forum to decide whether or not it is of interest. Representatives sending material to BCVS for inclusion in the pages for that forum are responsible for ensuring that the contents are suitable for public viewing. The discussion messages will not be posted to these pages.

A note about accessibility.

Not everyone will have their own e-mail account. Whilst we do not wish to exclude anyone the success of this type of group is based around the speed with which information can be shared. There are now many free web based e-mail services which can be accessed from any computer on-line and which are suitable for the purposes of e-forums. For those who have no means of accessing the internet please contact us for details of how you can be kept informed of developments via traditional mail.