Further details here soon, or see our ITnet website entry here.

The Third Sector Hub continues to deliver IT training courses with more planned for June & July.. These courses are aimed at staff & volunteers in North East Lincs Third Sector Organisations. Each ½ day course is FREE as these events are subsidised through Common Treasury financial support. Booking is essential. (A fee will be charged for non-attendance.)

The following courses are available, but dates are being planned according to demand. Please contact us and let us know your requirements.

Beginners ICT Foundation course
18th May (am)
15th June (am) at VANEL offices
16th June (pm) at VANEL
9th July (am) at West Marsh Community Centre
download the flyer for this course here

Word Foundation course
dates to be planned on demand
download the flyer for the Word course here

Excel Foundation course
dates to be planned on demand
download the flyer for the Excel course here

Advanced ICT course
dates to be planned on demand

Efficient Email & Internet
dates to be planned on demand
download the flyer for the Email & Internet course here

About the courses

Beginners IT Foundation course
Aimed at the complete beginner, this course provides a simple half-day introduction to using a PC and basic software. Suitable for staff or volunteers at any voluntary or community organisation.

Microsoft Word Foundation course
This course will help you get to grips with Microsoft Word (2003 or 2007). Suitable for staff or volunteers at any voluntary or community organisation who have basic computer skills but would like to understand how to find their way around Word and get their word processing skills up to date.

Microsoft Excel Foundation course
This course will help you get to grips with Microsoft Excel (2003 or 2007). Suitable for staff or volunteers at any voluntary or community organisation who have basic computer skills but would like to understand how to find their way around Excel and improve their general understanding of spreadsheets.

Email and the Internet
This course is aimed at staff or volunteers at any voluntary or community organisation who have basic computer skills but would like to understand much more about using the internet, emailing and communicating through technology.

Practicalities

Each course is free to attend for either staff members or volunteers of Third Sector Organisations based in North East Lincolnshire. Unfortunately these courses are not available to the public or private sector, to organisations based outside North East Lincolnshire or to indviduals not associated with a local third sector organisation or group.

Places are very limited, so early booking is recommended. Bookings need to be received in writing (email or booking form) to be reserved. The course is funded through Common Treasury funding and managed by the Third Sector Hub project to encourage better IT skills and support within our local Third Sector Organisations.

Please only book a place if you are going to be able to attend. We reserve the right to charge a £10 cancellation fee for any bookings cancelled less than 48 hours before the course and a £20 fee will be invoiced for ‘no shows’ on the day of a course.

To book or for more details please contact Vicky at VANEL on 01472 231123 or email vicky@vanel.org.uk.

Common Treasury

These courses are managed by the Third Sector Hub but are funded by Common Treasury funding.

All details about Common Treasury equipment available in the community is on the dedicated website www.vanel.org.uk/treasury.

The flyer can be downloaded here.

If you look after the IT for your charity, voluntary or community group or other third sector organisation, whether formally or ‘accidentially’, then we hope you’ll get some support from attending the event.

If you’re a Trustee or manager with oversight of your organisational IT (purchase, implementation, development or support), then please come along.

If you’re an individual with IT skills who may be able to offer support to a charity or group to assist with their IT, then again we’d like to see you there.

The event will consist of short, practical briefings and workshops designed to help the Third Sector Hub begin to work with both groups and individuals involved with IT support in our sector. We’ll be explaining why IT Matters, what support is out there, how we can support each other and how we can all make our organisations more resilient and sustainable though effective use of IT.

We’ll talk about our new IT Supporters Network and how you can become part of this to get practical help with IT.

Agenda for the morning

Tea & Coffee available from 9.15am. Event begins 9.30am
session 1 – “Why IT Matters to your Organisation”, Karl Elliott, Third Sector Hub Manager
A discussion around the organisational sustainability issues which mean you need to be taking your IT seriously.
session 2 – “Technology Toolkit”, Simon Duncan, Regional ICT Champion for Yorkshire & the Humber
Simon will be introducing himself, the role he plays and the Technology Toolkit that is available to help you
session 3 (after refreshments) – “Why not?”, Karl Elliott
interactive workshop reviewing the barriers that our organisations have to properly addressing IT issues
session 4 – VANEL, the Third Sector Hub & the new IT Supporters Network
resources and help available to help you and your organisation make more effective use of IT
session 5 – Next Steps
bringing it all together – how we can can move forward
Event closes at 1pm after which a light buffet lunch is available.

Attendance is FREE to all, but please book to help us with catering arrangements. Contact Vicky Hardy at VANEL on 01472 231123 or email vicky@vanel.org.uk to book. You can also email 9thjune@vanel.org.uk to book.

You can book online at http://bit.ly/cSARgQ

If you cannot make the session but still would like better support with your IT issues then please still get in touch. The workshop is only one early aspect of the support and training we are trying to make available.

more useful information

on the new IT website www.thirdsectorhub.org.uk/itnet

Download the bulletin in .pdf format here.

Why IT matters to your organisation

Digital exclusion is a national issue, with a divide between those individuals using IT and those not. But this divide also exists within the Third Sector, between charities, voluntary and community groups and other organisations who use, embrace and capitalise on IT and those who use IT ineffectively or not at all. Effective use of IT is now, more than ever, a factor in the long-term sustainability of Third Sector Organisations.

Why should IT matter to you? What about…

Better service delivery – you can deliver differently or deliver different services
Better access to information for your managers or board
Better financial management, auditing and reporting
Better client and beneficiary management
Improve information for your community
Improved staff development
Keep up to date with latest developments and legislation
Considerably better fundraising – many opportunities are only online
Improved external communications
Raising your profile
Better general administration
Saving costs…

Enough said. Start improving your IT now!

Free IT training

VANEL has a new programme of IT courses being planned. The first set of courses is aimed at staff & volunteers in North East Lincs Third Sector Organisations. Each ½ day course is FREE as these events are subsidised through Common Treasury financial support. Booking is essential. (A fee will be charged for non-attendance.)

More details on the Hub website here http://bit.ly/cHAjhM

Beginners ICT Foundation course
18th May (am)
20th May (am)
24th May (pm)
15th June (am)
16th June (pm)

Word Foundation course
18th May (pm)
15th June (pm)

Excel Foundation course
20th May (pm)
16th June (am)

Efficient Email & Internet
24th May (am)

To book or for more details please contact Vicky at VANEL on 01472 231123 or email vicky@vanel.org.uk.

Ideal for staff or volunteers to move their ICT skills along.

Laptops to borrow

VANEL has a number of laptops which are available for hire. These have been funded from Common Treasury or Yorkshire Forward money and are maintained by us for the benefit of Third Sector Organisations.

The laptops are up to date, excellent for short term hire (events, meetings etc) and can be borrowed for as little as £5 per day (higher rates for public or private sector, I’m afraid).

Need a laptop? Call Vicky at VANEL on 01472 231123 to discuss.

IT Matters – the event

A free, morning briefing will take place on Wed 5th May at Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre. Anyone involved in IT in the local Third Sector is invited to attend.

If you look after the IT for your charity, voluntary or community group or other third sector organisation, whether formally or ‘accidentially’, then we hope you’ll get some support from attending the event.

If you’re a Trustee or manager with oversight of your organisational IT (purchase, implementation, development or support), then please come along.

If you’re an individual with IT skills who may be able to offer support to a charity or group to assist with their IT, then again we’d like to see you there.

The event will consist of short, practical briefings and workshops designed to help the Third Sector Hub begin to work with both groups and individuals involved with IT support in our sector. We’ll be explaining why IT Matters, what support is out there, how we can support each other and how we can all make our organisations more resilient and sustainable though effective use of IT.
We’ll talk about our new IT Supporters Network and how you can become part of this to get practical help with IT.

If you can spare the morning (food at the end of it) then please call myself (Karl) or Vicky on 01472 231123 to reserve a place.

More info very soon on the Hub website at http://bit.ly/czIhQC

Social media event

On 29th April (6pm-9pm) at the Fishing Heritage Centre, there will be a “Social Media Surgery and Transformational ICT Event” organised by NAVCA and the national ICT Champions Network. The event is free (booking required) and will be relevant to any organisation looking to understand how social media tools (Twitter, Facebook, WordPress etc) can be used effectively.

More information and a flyer on the Hub website here: http://bit.ly/9zvsLm

Next bulletin mid May.

Do you have something IT related that needs to go onto our website or into this bulletin? Let me know.

Contact me – Karl Elliott, Third Sector Hub Manager at VANEL on 01472 231123 or email karl@vanel.org.uk

The event is organised via NAVCA and the ICT Champion network and is free to attend.

If your Third Sector Organisation is interested in capitalising on social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook then this might be a valuable opportunity.

The flyer can be downloaded here.

The Third Sector Hub Discussion Forums now include specific forums for those involved in Third Sector IT support. Why not post your questions there or start up conversations so that we can all help each other.

More information here soon…

Incomplete article

Thanks for looking. This article is incomplete – a work in progress.

If you think you’d be interested in this article then please visit again. You’re free to leave a comment below if you think you have ideas or resources that the author of this article may find useful whilst it is being compiled. Or there’s probably a forum on the Third Sector Hub Discussion Forums covering this topic so why not look there too.

Anything you can’t find on the website please contact the Hub team direct. All our contact details are here.

Thank you.
Karl Elliott, Third Sector Hub Manager

Cost is no longer an excuse. Computers and hardware has never been cheaper. Software is free. Websites can cost very little. It’s the knowledge and motivation that holds most organisations back. If technology is easy and cheap, why are organisations not taking it up?

The Third Sector Hub is promoting Effective IT. Third Sector Organisations need to have the right equipment, the right software, the right systems, the right online presence and, critically, the right advice and support to be resilient, sustainable and effective.

This briefing will cover key points about why IT is not just a ‘nice to have’, but is critical for the long term survival of Third Sector Organisaations. The briefing will introduce the options available and how to get huge results from small investment. And we’ll open up a workshop discussion after the briefing to help groups get the right support to move their IT forward.

If your organisation would like better support from IT or if you realise that your IT systems are holding you back, please invest some of your time on this free briefing and workshop to see what to do next.

Dates:
Tue 24th November, 9.30am
Fri 11th December, 12noon

Both at Melbourne House, both free, both around 1.5 hours in length.

Each month now we will be opening the room up for the afternoon for individuals to come along and use the equipment for free as part of a “Hands on IT” self-led training opportunity.

What this means is that what you do on the equipment is up to you and what you want to achieve or learn. There’s no trainer or training programme but someone IT literate will be available all afternoon to help answer any questions you have and guide you in the right direction.

This is an ideal opportunity if you want to get to grips with a new piece of software before buying it or before training your staff. Or perhaps your group has a volunteer wishing to learn more about databases or podcasting or something else entirely.

Booking is required as the number of computers, laptops and software licences etc are limited. And booking also means we can get the right software loaded for whatever your interest.

So if you’d like to get your Hands on some IT contact Karl Elliott to book and discuss your requirements.

Upcoming dates:

Wed 18th November (12noon – 4pm) (spaces still available)
Mon 7th December (12noon – 5pm) (spaces still available)

Things you might like to try:

Try a PC or a laptop (or by special request a MacBook)
Windows XP or Windows Vista (Windows 7 probably soon too)
Linux or Mac OS Snow Leopard soon too
Learn about the Internet – try Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari
Office software – Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint
Or try the OpenOffice equivalent
Project planning – Microsoft Project
Databases – Microsoft Access
Publishing – Microsoft Publisher (Mac Quark Express coming soon)
Podcasting – microphones & Audacity software available
Video editing coming 2010 (Mac Final Cut Studio)

More coming as and when we can make it available. Want something specific – just ask and we’ll see what we can do.

START HERE: NCVO have a simple but comprehensive guide to resources here.

Websites you should bookmark

The ICT Hub from NCVO at www.icthub.org.uk
for free guides & publications

The ICT Knowledgebase at www.ictknowledgebase.org.uk
for more information than you can handle!

The website for the national ICT Champions at www.ictchampions.org.uk
and the website for the ICT Champion for the Yorkshire & the Humber at www.yhictchampion.org.uk
(interesting to see where these ICT champions have come from – read this)

Ability Net at www.abilitynet.org.uk
helping TSOs tackle accessibility issues through IT

Get IT volunteers to help you via IT4Communities at www.it4communities.org.uk

Free Software

OpenSource is the obvious money saving choice for cash-strapped TSOs. The vast range of software available gives you great alternatives to common software solutions – sometimes they are better than the paid equivalent or at least good enough.

Use www.osalt.com to look up appropiate OpenSource alternatives.

Obvious ones…

OpenOffice to replace Microsoft Office
Firefox or Google Chrome to replace Internet Explorer
Linux (or here) to replace Windows

Discounted Software

Charity Technology Exchange (CTX) at www.ctx.org.uk is your route to huge discounts on popular software (such as Microsoft products) if you are a charity.

Local support & resources

Virtual Riders is at www.virtualriders.net

ESP Projects offers webdesign for the sector at www.espprojects.co.uk

There are more resources out there. We’ll be adding more here in due course, but if you know about resources you think other IT supporters should be aware of, why not add a Comment below or start a discussion going in the forums here.