IT Supporters Network

Over the next few months VANEL will be placing a number of community PCs out into community centres.  We need an IT literate volunteer(s) to help do the on-site installations & then to go back and keep the PCs up to date and in good running order.

Contact Karl Elliott at VANEL for more details

ref 007/04

We need someone with graphic design skills and ability to create PC desktop backgrounds and screensavers.

Contact Karl Elliott at VANEL

ref 007/03

VANEL has about 6 old, unused printers in store.  Someone needed to dust them off, troubleshoot and determine whether they can be brought back in to service or need to be scrapped.  Also need to review all of the other printers, faxes, scanners etc held at VANEL and make sure they are all working properly.

Contact Karl Elliott at VANEL.

ref 007/02

Volunteer with Linux expertise required to get a frozen Linux netbook back to life.  BIOS password has been lost and machine will not boot.  Probably need firmware updates/changes to get it back to life.

Contact Karl Elliott at VANEL.

ref 007/01

There are just a couple of places left on the WordPress session VANEL is running on Tuesday 10th August.

The session is free and open to any IT supporters of third sector organisations in North East Lincolnshire.  However, there are very limited places so sign up soon!  If we get the demand then expect to see another date scheduled in for September!

The session is a full morning learning WordPress in depth – enough for you to get started on building a first WordPress website for your organisation.  We’ll then carry on through the afternoon to actually get real, live websites built there and then for those keen to get a website up and running asap.

9.30am start – approx 1pm, lunch, then 2pm- 4.30pm handson session.

To book call Karl Elliott or Vicky Hardy at VANEL on 01472 231123 or email karl@vanel.org.uk.

Not come across WordPress before?

WordPress is a blogging tool (quick guide to blogs here).  It’s free.  It can do a lot more than just blogging – whole sites can be built around it.

You can get a free blog/site in seconds hosted by WordPress, or you can download the tool (for free) and host it yourself for complete control.

Most of the VANEL Third Sector Hub websites are built in WordPress – have a look:

www.thirdsectorhub.org.uk
www.thirdsectorhub.org.uk/itnet
www.vanel.org.uk/compact
www.thrivetrustees.org.uk
www.thriveleaders.org.uk
www.neltsp.org.uk/regen

Or take a look at some other cool examples of WordPress sites…

here, here, here, and here !

Not got a website?  Website tired & in need of work?  Do you have little money but some time and willingness to get going yourself? Give me a call to discuss or get yourself booked onto this course.

there’s a Websites group here for further discussion
or a Social Media group here to discuss blogging

lots more articles on websites, blogging, wordpress etc coming soon.

Thanks.  Karl

Does your organisation need something IT related? Equipment, software, support?

If you want to post something on this site to let others know what you need then please just give me a call or drop me an email.  Checkout the “needed” category to see what others are looking for.  Can you help?

To start things off, here’s VANEL’s needs…

Social media tools are widespread, easy to access, often free and potentially empowering for Third Sector Organisations.

Tools such as blogs, facebook, twitter, podcasting and others are a new resource, but not often well understood by organisations in the third sector.

There is an opportunity for some free training in Social Media tools on 29th July in Grimsby.

All the information about the event on the 29th July is here, and this is part of a nationwide series of such events.  Find out more here: www.socialmediasurgery.com

We have a “Social Media” group on this website, so feel free to join in the discussion here.

Race Online 2012 has today declared a target of getting 100% of the UK’s working age population online by 2012.

This is a key part of Digital Inclusion, missing only the key point as to where any funding for it comes from!

There is a website for the campaign here www.raceonline2012.org and the new manifesto “Manfesto for a Networked Nation” can be read online or downloaded here.

Take a look at the news article on the BBC here.

As part of a useful toolkit there is also the “Pass IT on” website and resources (www.helppassiton.co.uk).  Can our community organisations help others to make the most of IT & the Internet??

Bearing in mind that funding via the “Digital Participation Fund” is no longer available (see details here), where might these initiatives be funded?
I’ve created a new “Digital Participation” Group on this website.  So if you have comments or thoughts to share on the local implications of these national strategies then please join the group!