East Health Communities are here to connect you with fellow members in your local area - to learn more about what we do and to help shape what we do, too. They're run by our Community Representatives who are members just like you. (And could even be you!)
You don't have to sign up, either. As a member, you automatically join your nearest community.
What do they do?
East Health is a mutual, mutual, not-for-profit. This means we're run both by and for our members which means you get a say in how the organisation is run. Communities are one way of keeping you up-to-date with what we’re doing. By coming along or joining online, you have the chance to tell us about what matters to you.
How can I take part?
There are two ways to get involved - in person, or online:
Member Meetups
At least once a year, our Community Reps host an in-person get-together. It’s your chance to hear from guest speakers on a range of health and wellbeing topics, learn more about our plans, and connect with other members.
Online Community
Can't wait for a Member Meetup? All year round, our Online Community has you covered. Start discussions, ask questions about your membership, and connect with other members. Everything you need to stay up-to-date (and keep us up-to-date too) is there. If you're registered on My Benenden, you can join our Online Community.
Can I really make a difference?
Absolutely. Your ideas and views are already helping us build a better East Health. For example, our Neurodiversity and Disability Advice Service was originally suggested at our Annual Conference – now it’s a service we’re really proud to offer and one that many of our members use.
So, if you can think of a product or service that would make a difference, here’s how you could make it a reality.
First, you'd share your idea in our Online Community or at a Member Meetup. For example, maybe there’s a specific medical condition you think we should be covering
Then, it's over to your group of Community Reps to gather the views of members and discuss the pros and cons
If it gets the overall 'thumbs up', your Community Reps will send it up to the Member Council for investigation
If they agree it's worth exploring, they'll pitch it to the highest level – our Board
Finally, the Board will decide if it’s in the interest of all our members (including potential future ones). If it is – hooray! Your idea will be rolled out across the country.
Our Community Representatives (or Reps as we often call them) play a key role in our communities - so we love to hear from people who are keen to get stuck in. Like our members, Reps come from all walks of life. They make sure we hear what’s most important to you.
Being a Community Rep means dedicating about an hour a week to log into our Online Community, join discussions, and help with member's questions. We provide lots of support, and based on feedback from existing Community Representatives, they've gained a lot from the experience – including valuable skills for their CVs and personal growth.
What do Community Representatives do?
Our Reps play a key role in East Health by representing the voice of our members.
First, you'll have the chance to learn more about what we do so you can lend a hand to members both online and at our meetup events. As a East Health member, you might already be aware of some of our services and benefits. We’ll share detailed information about your membership, including any new products or changes. This way, you'll feel ready to answer questions, assist members with their inquiries, and share any feedback on potential improvements.
The second step, is sharing the ideas and views of our members back to us. We have a process for submitting member ideas, and we'll guide you through how it works.
And since all of these things happen either online or in person, there's a bit of light admin and logistics involved too, but it should only take about an hour a week.
What help do we offer?
We really appreciate everything our Reps do for us, so if you do sign up we'll support you every step of the way:
We'll give you all the training, materials, information, and equipment you need to be a confident Community Rep.
And if anything complicated pops up, our specialised teams (think finance and IT) will handle it.
What are the benefits?
Since it’s a volunteering role it's unpaid (although we'll cover expenses so you're never out of pocket). Here's what our current Reps tell us they value about the role:
Being able to share their skills - and develop new ones too.
Having lots of experience that's great for boosting their CV.
A sense of achievement from helping members and the business.
Getting to represent your community at all levels of East Health.
Want to find out more?
Great! If you’re interested, we have a form to fill in. After that, we'll arrange a quick chat to talk it over a bit more.
Getting in touch doesn't obligate you to do anything – it's just a way for us to get to know each other a bit better and see if this role could work for you.
