ICT Connect
ICT Connect - "Enabling you to get the best use of ICT"
How well does your organisation communicate its message, attract and manage
members, campaign, fundraise and network with other partners? Are you able
to reach out to individuals in the community who need your support, keep up with
current research and findings, share information with similar organisations and
make free telephone calls over the internet?
These days it is
becoming increasingly difficult to operate effectively without electronic
marketing, communication and information tools such as a website, e-mail and a
database.
Whilst information and communication technology (ICT) is crucial, many charities and voluntary sector organisations are losing out by not having an understanding of how ICT can benefit them as a resource to save time and money; and also as a way of maintaining a visible profile and providing accessible lines of communication and opportunity for discussion.
ICT Connect is a scheme to enable your organisation to gain a fuller
understanding of how ICT can be utilised effectively. By matching you with
a similar organisation currently using ICT well or in an innovative way; you
will have the opportunity to explore possibilities learning from their expertise
and experience.
It is hoped that the ICT Connect scheme will
provide invaluable learning for the sector as a whole, as your experience will
be placed on the ICT Hub website as a case study.
So, if you would like to….
• Develop a website or ‘MySpace’
• Implement a system for making telephone
calls over the internet, sending text messages to mobile phones, or using video
conferencing
• Learn more about your users through setting up a discussion
forum or blog
• Create a directory of products and services through a
database
• Develop an understanding about accessibility issues
• or more
..
Then apply for ICT Connect. Download ICT Connect application form Word document 48 KB
ICT Connect – how does it work?
First of all identify your need and identify if you know of another organisation that is doing something similar to your need. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know of another organisation that does something similar we can provide a matching service.
Fill in an application form with objectives and travel expense details. The ICT Hub will pay up to £150 travel and subsistence expenses.
When we receive your application form we will assess it against our criteria. If the bursary is awarded you will be notified and able to go ahead and arrange the visit. If you have requested matching to another organisation, we will start this process now and inform you as soon as we have found a suitable organisation.
The hosting organisation will receive £100 for a meeting of no longer than 2 hours and £150 more than 2 hours spent with your organisation for time spent.
You will complete a report at the end of the meeting to show what you and your organisation have learnt from the experience as well as detailing what you would like to achieve after the visit.
Expenses will be reimbursed on production of receipts; these should be attached to the report.
The details of the visit will be displayed on the ICT Hub website as a case study so that others can learn from the experience.
After 6 months we will ask you to fill in a progress report, to update the ICT Hub on what progress has been made since the visit. An extra payment of £50 is awarded on submission of this report.
An update of the story is then added to the ICT Hub website.
How to apply
Email your form to or post it to us at:
ICT Hub
NCVO
Regent's Wharf
8 All Saints Street
London
N1
9RL
Please note that the ICT Connect scheme is only available to front line voluntary and community organisations. If you are from an infrastructure organisation, you may like to find out about the ICT Hub Exchange Scheme.