Our first RSS Members’ Week is almost at an end and we hope that you have been able to participate: members are at the heart of all our activities and we could not achieve our objectives and goals without the valuable support, energy, expertise and commitment you give to the Society. So first and foremost, a huge thank you to all RSS members!
During the week there have been a variety of activities which members could join in – whether by attending an event or reading a journal or Significance article, we hope you embraced the opportunity to get involved and show your support for the RSS. If you’ve missed any of the week’s activities, take a look at our website or check out our accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
You said, we listened
Recent member surveys and feedback at member events has highlighted the need to better communicate the benefits of RSS membership. The Member Update circulated with Significance magazine has been introduced to provide news updates and tips on getting the most out of the range of benefits currently available. The second edition will be reaching you shortly via October’s issue of Significance.
Here at RSS HQ our goal is to provide members with benefits that are going to be of value. Your ideas and suggestions on what we should be doing to help you achieve your goals are vital to this process. Please share your thoughts and challenges so that we can deliver the best possible service and ensure you are getting maximum value for your subscription. We’ll be running a member survey shortly and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Get the most out of your membership
Members’ Week has hopefully shown you that there are many ways to get involved and make the most of your membership. These include:
- Becoming professionally qualified - our professional awards are a great way of gaining recognition for the hard work you’ve put in to achieve your statistical qualification and for your continued professional training and experience. Over the coming months we will be promoting the benefits of the professional pathway to members; please do consider taking up these opportunities to support your career development.
- Using your skills to help charitable causes - the Society has always encouraged members to give their time and skills for public good and charitable causes. The Statisticians for Society initiative helps members offer their expertise to charities on a pro bono basis. Since its launch, we have facilitated the delivery of volunteering opportunities to our members across the UK and overseas by partnering with other organisations. Access to this scheme is an exclusive membership benefit – we would like to hear from you if you want to contribute your skills in this way.
These are just two ways to get involved – don’t forget, we also offer several other volunteering opportunities, regular events and meetings, and the opportunity to get your voice heard through our policy work.
Looking ahead
2019 is set to be an exciting time as we roll out the new membership database and website which will deliver a more personalised experience for members in terms of content, communications and access to benefits. The new website will bring together all our booking and application systems (so no need for multiple login details to access different services), as well as offering an improved ‘My RSS’ experience. We also hope to introduce new online communities to enable you to connect with each other. Watch out for updates in the fortnightly member e-bulletin.
The whole membership team are always available to hear your views and to help with any problems you may be experiencing. Do keep in touch with us as it’s always good to keep in touch with you.
Thank you again for your continuing support for the RSS.
Nicola Emmerson, RSS director of membership and professional affairs.