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Support for ‘accidental techies’

using technology to do things better or do better things

Cooking up a website

  • WelcomeThe IT Supporters Network is a VANEL initiative to help the sustainability of local voluntary and community organisations through better application of technology.
  • Networking & LearningWe hold quarterly networking meetings, regular technical surgeries, specialist technical training courses and briefings and other events to help share knowledge about IT amongst those in the sector responsible for technology.
  • BlogRead our blog (or follow it by RSS) to keep up to date with news, information, resources, funding, case studies and more. For those willing to collaborate and get more involved online, we have an online Huddle powered community to aid communication.
  • and moreWe can also help with IT resources & equipment, signposting to others, projects such as our CTX masterclasses, regular newsletters and more.

Cooking up a website

Need a website? Need a better website? Need to take control of your site? Need to understand how a website needs to be assembled, supported and managed?

This free briefing (2hrs) is an introduction to all the fundamentals of website management (for non techies).

Next briefing 18 May
Full information

Quarterly Networking

Each quarter we hold a 1/2day “IT Matters” session as a chance for members to meet and learn together. We hold briefings, workshops and open networking. Everyone who has attended a meeting in the past has left with something.

Our next meeting is 13 July.
Further information here

Our diary page has lots more dates for you

Technical Surgeries

We run technical surgeries for members at regular intervals (1 to 2 a month). Previous sessions have covered networking, wi-fi, dropbox & backups and PC admin. Sessions are run by VANEL but delivered by Virtual Riders at venues in Grimsby & Cleethorpes.

Next sessions restart in May and will cover Google Apps. More information soon.

Here for more information.

Specialist training

WordPress training
Usually 1/2 day sessions to help groups learn to build websites using WordPress.
26 May
CTX Masterclass
Charities have the chance to get near free software by registering with CTX. Many charities miss out on this scheme (which can be complex), so we run these short masterclasses to advise groups.
12 May

making IT happen

Our new project (which has its own website here) is a series of experiments in the practical implementation of IT.
Rather than generalise, train people and point you to other resources, we’ve decided to document our IT experiments for all to learn from. We’re working with a number of local organisations and hopefully anyone can use the new website as a source of ideas, inspirations, tips and techniques.

Collaboration

Some of our members use the Network for information. But some members want to network and engage with others in a different way.

So we’ve created an online collaboration resource using Huddle which allows members to share resources, discuss ideas, keep up to date with the network and collaborate fully.

You’ll need an invitation to get involved (find out more), so join up with the Network and ask to get invited.

Newsletters

We keep members up to date via our blog (which you can follow with RSS), but we also use our collaboration space and an email network to keep people informed.

We also publish regular newsletters to keep you up to date. Look through past newsletters here.

Digital TV switchover

Perhaps not strictly IT, but VANEL is helping to cascade information about the Digital TV switchover (in August) to members of the community who might be eligible for the switchover help scheme. We’re doing this via the local voluntary and community organisations.

More information very soon