Support your employees and volunteers with online IT training

“Learn at Your Own Pace” online courses used by The NHS, Councils and Universities

All the Microsoft training courses have been certified by the ECDL foundation:

• Individual courses (Beginner and Advanced levels): Excel, Outlook, Access, PowerPoint and Word >>> From £7.99 per month or £29.99 per year for each user
• ECDL Basic >>> From £39.99 per month or £129.99 per year for each user
• ECDL Advanced >>> From £39.99 per month or £129.99 per year for each user
• Special courses such as Office Sense and Email Exemplar >>> From £7.99 per month or £29.99 per year for each user

For more information go to www.DigiStudy.co.uk or email info@digistudy.co.uk.

Resources available from ICT conference

The joint NCVO and Microsoft ICT conference took place last week and the resources from the day are now available to download from the website. Seminars included e-campaigning, effective websites, innovation, online collaboration and accessibility.

Read more and download the handouts at: www.icthub.org.uk/events/resources.html

Media Trust will run the two-year Digital Mentors project jointly funded by Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

The project aims to inspire, engage and support disadvantaged and isolated communities across England to get their voices heard through digital media. It will provide funding, tools and resources for communities and community organisations of all sizes to increase engagement through digital media.

To get involved either as a pilot project or as a digital volunteer, visit: www.mediatrust.org/digitalmentors

Leading IT volunteering charity, iT4Communities, has seen over 660 people sign up compared with just 212 during the first three months of 2008, a 200% increase in IT volunteers registering to use their skills to help charities this year.

This shows the ‘upside’ of the recession as more and more people turn to volunteering to widen their experiences and skills base. The volunteer can learn valuable and marketable new skills and the charities gain access to professional help they couldn’t otherwise afford.

iT4Communities introduces volunteer IT professionals to charities needing IT help and support. Voluntary & community organisations looking for expert IT help can register on line. It costs just £85 for 12 months of iT4C support and as many volunteer requests as needed.

Find out more at: www.it4communities.org.uk or contact 020 7796 2144.

New Digital Champions in the North East
 

Thank you to Andrew Samuels, North East Regional Champion for highlighting this opportunity in the region.

The University of Teeside is offering free courses in digital and creative media subjects to people who are passionate about learning new skills and want to pass them on to others in their communities. Their long term goal is for the ‘Digital Champions' to become supported and empowered community leaders, who play an active role in tackling the digital divide within their own groups, which in turn, may lead to inspire the next generation of film makers, animators or even web designers! 

If you think that you would like to become a ‘Digital Champion', Carmen Thompson, Community Engagement Coordinator at the Institute of Digital Innovation, would really like to hear from you.

Phone 01642 384567 or email: Carmen.thompson@tees.ac.uk

As always there will be more specific pots of money available regionally so for information on funding in your area, contact your local CVS or regional ICT champion.

BT Community Connections give organisations free laptops and internet access

BT Community Connections is an award scheme which enables community and charitable groups to get online and make use of ICT. Groups can apply for a laptop and a year’s free broadband connection. Almost any community group or organisation that can demonstrate how an award will benefit their work and the local community can apply for an award.

Go to www.btcommunityconnections.com to apply on line.

Westminster City Council give away free computers

Westminster Council has started to give away computer equipment worth approximately £200,000 per year to charities. Rather than send 250 computers a year to the dump or for recycling, the council has decided the machines would be put to better use going to volunteer groups or individuals.

The systems will be security checked and cleansed of data before being loaded with charity-licensed software. Successful applicants will each receive about £700 worth of computer equipment and software. In order to apply, a group must be classed as a charity or not-for-profit organisation and be able to show how their service or activity meets the needs of people living, working or studying in Westminster.

Charities can email imcwilliams@westminster.gov.uk or call Westminster Council on 020 7641 3382 for details.

There are a number of events coming up from NCVO to help you do more using technology:

Sourcing, encouraging and developing innovation in the third sector

Monday 1 June, London

NCVO's Innovation Project is running a free seminar focussing on the role of those in a position to encourage, support and develop innovative ideas emerging from the third sector.

• How can front-line organisations be supported in developing their innovative ideas? 
• Who and what can best support third sector innovation?

If you have a part to play in supporting front-line organisations, come and explore what you can do to encourage innovation to flourish.  Learn about successes in harnessing innovation and explore what might work for you. For more information and details of speakers, visit:

www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/events/latest/?id=13976.

Introduction to ‘Cloud Computing’ for Voluntary Organisations

Wednesday 3 June, London

Salesforce.com Foundation is holding a free breakfast seminar. It's an opportunity to learn about 'cloud computing' and discover a free application which can transform your organisation.

So, what is ‘cloud computing’? Effectively it is accessing technology and making it available to the masses via the internet, it’s getting someone else’s computer to do the work for you, allowing your organisation to avoid expenditure on hardware, software and services.

So if you need help managing volunteers, donors, fundraising programs, social networking sites or organisational processes, this seminar will enlighten you to the benefits of ‘cloud computing’ and demonstrate Salesforce’s free CRM application which can transform your organisation.

Salesforce.com’s software donation programme means that NCVO members are eligible to receive donated licenses worth up to £10,000 per organisation. So far over 6,000 licences have been donated to voluntary and community organisations worldwide.

Email ikelly@salesforce.com to book your free place.

Multimedia Explained
 

Monday 8 June, London

There are still a few places left for NCVO's Multimedia conference. Are you making the most of multimedia in your publishing and communications strategies? Do you know how to use multimedia to get your message across?

With new technologies and ways of communicating constantly emerging, it is vital that organisations have the information and resources they need to use these to their advantage. Keeping up to date with current trends can be confusing and expensive; this conference will help you to make informed decisions based on the expertise and experience of multimedia professionals.

Find out more and book online at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/events/latest/?id=13132.

In these difficult times, voluntary and community organisations are called on to meet an ever-growing need for their services, while also facing greater financial challenges – how can the sector square this circle?
Speakers include Rachel Lomax, Chair of NCVO's Funding Commission (former Deputy Governor of Bank of England) and Sophi Tranchell MBE, Managing Director of Divine Chocolate. 

Read the full programme and book online at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/SFP09  

... Participate

Social Innovation Exchange

The Social Innovation Exchange is looking for ideas for web-based tools for social change.
In June a weekend camp in Glasgow will bring together some of the best of the UK’s software developers and designers and those at the sharp end of social problems. Their aim will be to turn six back-of-the-envelope ideas into social start-ups - complete with working software. And all in under 48 hours!

To get involved visit: www.socialinnovationexchange.org

Charities urged to use text to lobby

Kate Wiggins of Third Sector looks at the ways in which charites can use text and web campaigns as a way of avoiding legal restrictions on political advertising. Read the full article at:

www.thirdsector.co.uk/Channels/Communications/Article/899353/Charities-urged-use-text-web-lobby/

... And finally

Free ICT jobs board

Don’t forget that you can advertise your ICT jobs for free on the jobs board, reaching thousands of people every month.  To see the current vacancies or find out how to submit your own, go to:

www.icthub.org.uk/Jobs_Board.

There are also a number of other events happening around the sector to help you do more using technology (please note that these events are not organised by NCVO).

Silver Surfers Day 2009

Friday May 15, nationwide

Once again, hundreds of diverse organisations around the UK are gearing up to invite older people in for a taste of the Internet on and around Silver Surfers' Day.

To find out about events in your area and get involved go to: http://silversurfers.digitalunite.com/

Outcome monitoring IT systems help save time and increase effectiveness but few charities use these systems.  The Outcomes Monitoring and IT conference on 21st May 2009 will give charities the opportunity to see a range of resources designed to help them capture the difference their work makes.  As well as the chance to see a range of systems in action, and to identify what might work best for them, participants will also benefit from one-to-one advice from experts in ICT, monitoring and evaluation, and discounts on publications.

For further information, please visit the conference website at: www.outcomesandit.org.uk.

Social Media Exchange for the cultural and heritage sectors

Monday 1 June, London

This event will offer you ideas and ways of incorporating new technologies into your work. From podcasts to social networks and blogs to twitter: you'll be inspired to be creative and learn new skills - all in one day.

For more details and to book on line visit: http://socialmediaexchange.org.uk/

Circuit Rider conference

Tuesday 9 June, Middlesex

This conference offers essential recession survival tools for circuit riders, accidental techies, consultants, individuals and organisations interested in circuit riding. It is especially aimed at those helping with ICT support and development for small to medium-sized voluntary sector organisations. The conference will offer a mixture of workshops, showcases and "unconference" sessions.

Organised by Lasa's Information Systems Team and facilitated by Marc Osten of Summit Collaborative, the day is a great opportunity to learn, network and socialise in an exciting environment.

For more information and booking see www.lasa.org.uk/crconference.

We are Geeks Who Care

We can help you focus on your mission by looking after your IT needs

We give you a customised IT support service that provides you with:

• On-site & remote IT support >>> From £29.95 per month
• Automatic Online Backup for PCs, MACs & Servers >>> Never lose data! Get a free trial!
• Web & Email hosting >>> From £15 per month (unlimited email accounts)
• Computer recycling services >>> Arrange computer pick-up
• Network setup, monitoring & support and more

Current clients include Happy Computers, The Attlee Foundation and many others.

Find out more at www.digibridge.co.uk or you can email us at info@digibridge.co.uk or call on 0800 612 6383.

You are receiving this email briefing because you are a member of the NCVO ICT mailing list and this is our main method of updating you. If you have any questions or comments or would like to unsubscribe to this email, please let us know by emailing louise.brown@ncvo-vol.org.uk.

Visit our website at www.icthub.org.uk or call the free NCVO HelpDesk 0800 2 798 798.