In Shetland we have joined up the management of our emergency and community services, to improve collaboration between the WRVS projects in the area and provide a better range of services for older people on the islands. By working together more closely we are now working on a bid for new funding with one of the emergency services team's partners, Petrofac Oil, to fund new community services on the islands.

Indeed when we see our emergency services work as a part of the range of services we offer in communities (rather than a separate thing that we do) it is easy to see a whole set of new opportunities to improve the support we provide to older people. At the moment Angela Currie, head of emergency services, is working on plans to develop WRVS' work to support older people recovering from the aftermath of a flood, fire or other emergency. By linking up the community support services we provide to people affected by an emergency we could provide some vital extra support to older people who often find it more difficult to adapt to the aftermath of a disaster and the changes it can bring. This way of working is very much supported by the UK Government, as well as locally, and there are real opportunities for us to take a lead in working in partnership with other organisations to build strong communities through volunteering.

These are just some of the examples of how we are already having a bigger impact by integrating our services within WRVS and with our partners. By integrating our services in each community we will make it easier for older people to choose from a range of services and get the most out of the support WRVS offers.