19-25 October: Get Online Week | Digital Nation & Good Things Foundation Blueprint

Online Centres Members' News

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Thursday 1 October 2020

Hello <<First Name>>

A message from Good Things Foundation CEO, Helen Milner

KEY MESSAGES FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

- Sign up to host an event for this year's Get Online Week, 19-25 October. View the resources and support on the website to help you plan and host your virtual event.

- View our new remote delivery support resources to help support individuals from a distance

- If you would like to join our Good Things Foundation Community Partners Slack group, follow this link and then enter goodthingsfou-icf4115 when asked for the workspace URL. If you haven't used Slack before you will be asked to download it onto your computer or device.

DIGITAL EVOLUTION CONFERENCE - UPDATE

Unfortunately, we have decided not to hold the UK's annual conference planned to take place in November this year online.

We have a virtual network meet up session planned in November and stakeholder round tables taking place across the next few months, so there are lots of opportunities to meet with and listen to other community partners.

We will really miss getting together face to face this year and meeting so many of our community partners, both existing and new members. It is always a highlight for the Good Things team, and we hope for centres too. We will continue to coordinate ways in which we can get together online - in Meet-Ups and via the Facebook Group, and the new Slack channel. Hope to see you all online with us and with each other over the coming months.

New remote delivery resources

Over the summer we worked with some of our community partners to understand what would be most useful to support the online/remote digital skills delivery that many centres have undertaken during the pandemic.

We’ve now created a bank of resources that we think you will find useful to support people remotely, and as part of a blended approach. Some of the resources on our page have been created by Good Things Foundation, some by community partners and others have been more widely recommended.

Familiarise yourself with the available resources and use the ones that are helpful to your staff and your community. If you have created a remote learning support resource, or used one that you think others would benefit from, please let us know and we will be happy to look at adding it to this bundle of resources.

Visit the resources

BLUEPRINT FOR A 100% DIGITALLY INCLUDED UK

Earlier this month, we launched our Blueprint for a 100% digitally included UK. Since the pandemic and the lockdown measures, the need for a 100% digitally included nation is more prevalent than ever. Our Digital Nation 2020 infographic demonstrates the UK’s digital divide in one picture. Nine million people who struggle to use the internet by themselves on a daily basis are still being left out and now is the time to work together to fix the digital divide. Take a look at the Blueprint to learn how we can work together to help create a world where everyone benefits from digital. You can help us spread the word using our social media toolkit too!

New virtual volunteer scheme to support community partners!

Following a successful pilot, earlier this year, we are excited to launch a new initiative in partnership with BT, which will enable their colleagues to provide virtual volunteer support to you, our community partners.

Virtual support from a BT volunteer will be available for any member of our network anywhere in the country. They will work with you on a development area of your choice; from either social media skills, virtual communications skills or business and project management skills.

The opportunity is open until April 2021, so you can request volunteer help when it suits you best, you don’t have to do it straight away.

Find out more about how the scheme works and what to expect here. If you’re looking for volunteering support right away, you can apply by completing this form.

Find out more

MAP CHANGES - INFORM US IF YOU'RE CURRENTLY PROVIDING SUPPORT

Earlier in the year, we made changes to our Online Centres Network find-a-centre map to reflect organisations who are currently providing digital skills support to individuals in their community. When searching our map, you will only appear if you have been in touch to inform us you are providing either virtual or face to face support. If you are currently providing either of these or both, but haven’t yet been in touch, please let us know via phone or email so we can feature your organisation on the map and make sure people can reach out to you.

HMCTS DIGITAL SUPPORT SERVICE - NEW REPORTS

As part of our ongoing work with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), we are working to provide assisted digital support for individuals who would be otherwise unable to access HMCTS services. Through our network of community partners, we have been designing, testing, delivering and evaluating a face-to-face assisted digital service for online users.

Online centres will support individuals across areas such as civil money claims, divorce, probate, social security and child support, single justice system and help with fees. Visit the website to find out more about the community partners involved in the pilot and take a read of the Implementation Review and Executive Summary.

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