Dear Volunteer,

We hope this newsletter finds you well and that you have managed to stay cool in the recent hot weather.  An ideal opportunity to sit and read perhaps?

We also hope that you've had an opportunity to catch up with our news in the latest customer newsletter.

You may have seen that:

• Gadgeteers is the name of the Summer Reading Challenge for this year. Thank you to those of you who have already volunteered to help run this in your local library. If you haven't volunteered for the challenge, but would like to, do talk with staff at your nearest branch.
• There's a new app to help you learn a language. Have you tried it yet? It's called Transparent Language Online and it's great!
• We're looking for more Home Library Direct Volunteers, particularly in the Bognor Regis, Burgess Hill, Crawley, East Grinstead and Worthing areas.
• And much, much more.

Lots of work has been going on to finalise how our new marketing campaign is going to run.

As part of the campaign to encourage new customers to find out more about us, Discovery Days will be held at Crawley Library on 20 August, Haywards Heath on 24 August, Worthing on 27 August, Bognor Regis on 31 August and Horsham Library on 3 September, all designed to showcase to the public all the different services we have to offer. Over time all libraries will be able to get involved and host similar events.

More details of the ‘look’ of the marketing campaign and materials will be shared shortly, as well as how the Discovery Days will run.

If you would like to be involved in helping us run one of these days, either by talking to customers about volunteering, helping to deliver activities during the day or by helping us publicise these events, please do get in touch.

The latest Staying Safe Online Newsletter contains information on

• Investment scams
• Concerns around the children’s online game Poppy Playtime
• Useful information about the Dark Web
• New parental controls on Instagram

A special newsletter has also been sent out on how to protect yourself from a phishing scam. It contains lots of useful information.

Get Safe Online has partnered with Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, to launch an innovative new service. Check a website is an easy-to-use online tool which helps determine whether a website is likely to be legitimate or a scam before you visit it. It is expected to prevent thousands of people in the UK falling victim to unwanted online scams every year.

Library Volunteers who are involved in the delivery of WSCC library services are covered by the County Council's insurance policies, including Public and Employer's liability policies and the Personal Accident policy.

Volunteers will only be insured if acting with the knowledge, support, supervision and/or direction of the County Council in service of the volunteer role they have agreed to carry out.

For example, if a volunteer is visiting a person at home (e.g. Home Library Direct Volunteers) on behalf of the library service, they will be covered under County Council insurance. If a volunteer chooses to make a visit, outside of their volunteer role (without being requested to do so or without permission), they are not covered under County Council insurance. Risk assessments and further guidance on home visits and lone-working for those volunteers who are visiting customers at home can be found in the Library Volunteer Manual.

Volunteers carrying out tasks on behalf of West Sussex County Council are covered by the Council’s insurance against accident or injury except when they are driving their own vehicle for the voluntary work. When driving a vehicle, the liability falls upon the motor policy rather than the Council’s policies. Therefore, when driving your own vehicle, any claims that you need to make will be dealt with by your private motor policy and not the County Council’s policies. Further information for volunteers about car insurance and driving licence checks can be found in the Library Volunteer manual.

Volunteers who are aged 75 and over will be covered by the Personal Accident policy at a reduced rate: 10% of the relevant sum for volunteers aged up to 75.