A new matchmaking service is to be set up in Bermuda ? to help link volunteers with charities.

The Centre on Philanthropy has announced plans to establish an online portal designed to increase the numbers of volunteers in Bermuda.

Using a programme developed by Canadian Tony Goodrow, The Centre plans to match volunteers with charities whose programmes and services are of interest to them through the Bermuda Volunteer Centre.

?Our Chairman, Brian Duperreault, has made the development of volunteerism in Bermuda one of his top priorities,? said executive director Pamela Barit Nolan.

?Volunteers are the bedrock of any charity and without them, non-profit organisations literally couldn?t function.

?But too often, charities don?t know how to find volunteers, and volunteers don?t know which charities need help. The Bermuda Volunteer Centre will help these groups find each other and stay in touch, all through a click of a mouse.?

Mrs. Barit Nolan explained that Mr. Goodrow, who is coming to Bermuda to introduce the programme, has established a similar initiative in Canada, linking volunteers and charities across the country.

She added: ?Tony has had remarkable success with his programme, which is called Volunteer2 in Canada.

?During a demonstration earlier this year, The Centre?s Board of Directors were impressed with the manner in which a volunteer?s interest could be listed for charities to review, and similarly, a charity could post information about what programmes and services needed volunteer support.

?Tony has statistics to back up the effectiveness of the scheme and it was the quantifiable nature of this programme that made it attractive to the board.?

Mr. Goodrow will introduce the Bermuda Volunteer Centre to charities and volunteers tomorrowat a workshop at XL House on Bermudiana Road, at 5.30 p.m. There is no charge.

?Following the workshop, we will work with a number of charities and volunteers to establish a foundation of information on the Bermuda Volunteer Centre and then in mid-November we?ll launch a portal for the community to use.

?We hope that by the second quarter of 2007, we?ll have seen a significant increase in the numbers of volunteers working with Bermuda?s charities.?

For more information about the workshop, people can call The Centre on Philanthropy at 235 7706 or visit www.centreonphilanthropy.org.