19-25 October - Get Online Week 2020 | critical friends support service

Online Centres Members' News

View this email in your browser

Thursday 23 July 2020

Hello <<First Name>>

Over the past few months, we’ve been working hard to understand how best to plan a campaign that considers everyone’s safety, and I’m now very pleased to announce that Get Online Week is coming and we’re saying: now is the time to help others get online.

Get Online Week 2020 will take place from 19-25 October but with the country still responding to the coronavirus pandemic, we won’t be asking you to hold public events in your local communities and invite lots of people into your venues.

Instead, we're asking you to help people safely, whether that’s over the phone, using digital tools like video calls, or in person on 1-1 basis - but only when and where it’s safe to do so! And we’re going to help you figure out exactly how to do this in your community.

As the campaign gets closer, we’ll be sharing LOTS of tips and resources on how to get involved in Get Online Week and what your activities could look like, so you can engage with the people who need your help while staying safe.

In the meantime, please head over to the Get Online Week website to register as an event holder (you can use your Online Centres Network website login details), and if you haven’t, subscribe to our campaign newslette r to receive all the latest campaign updates.

Best wishes
Helen Milner and the Good Things Foundation team

Take part in Get Online Week 2020

Virtual meet up and training for community partners

Earlier this year we hosted a number of ‘virtual meet up’ sessions for our community partners to share their knowledge and expertise with each other. It was great to see lots of you come together and support each other. Due to popular demand, we’ve planned two more. Community partners will also get the opportunity to attend a workshop of their choice from either remote delivery or bid writing. The sessions will take place on Tuesday 18 August, 10am to 12pm and on Wednesday 25 November, 3pm to 5pm. Visit the website to find out more and register your interest.

Find out more and register your interest

Virtual meet ups & training for Community Partners

GAIN FREE ADVICE FROM A BID WRITING PROFESSIONAL

A few weeks ago we launched our Critical Friend Support Service, aimed to help members of the network when applying for funding opportunities. The new one-to-one support service can be used alongside our database of funding opportunities. This impartial service is provided by Sally Deith and Kate Drewitt, two bid writing professionals with masses of experience in both bid writing and assessing funding bids.

This is a free offer, exclusive to members of the Online Centres Network, so please do have a look and apply for help if you are submitting a bid.

Find out more and apply

Network Sustainability survey - share your thoughts

Following Government guidance in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Good Things Foundation shifted its focus to support the needs of our network and ensure everyone can gain access to digital skills resources.

We are keen to hear your feedback on what was most valued as an emergency response to such a challenging situation. Since March, we have offered various support measures including a specific COVID-19 tab on our UK funding database, virtual Zoom meet ups, a resources page and more. We would also like to explore what you want to see us continue doing in the coming months.

Please complete the survey below to help us understand how the support we provide is useful to you and what more we can do.

Complete the survey

GROUNDWORK SOUTH RURAL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE GUIDE

Groundwork South, an organisation working to create stronger, healthier communities to provide better prospects for local residents and businesses, has recently shared a rural community resilience guide which , in partnership with Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE). The guide contains practical tips and information on how individuals can prepare for and help each other during a range of emergencies, from floods to pandemics.

You can find out more by reading the press release and Rural Community Resilience Guide here.

All contacts in the Online Centres Network agree to receive the weekly newsletters when they sign up to join the network but if you think you shouldn't have received this email, then please let us know at hello@goodthingsfoundation.org or unsubscribe below.