Community How To

Most of the community groups I come across in my role as Chief Executive of Online Centres Foundation - the organisation behind the national network of 3,800 UK online centres - have a To Do list as long as their arms.  Many are pushed for time, and all are pushed for precious resources.  New technologies - and researching new ways to get things done - are not a priority.    

I want to see that changing.  Or at least moving up those To Do lists. 

It’s often the smallest of these groups who work with and through local councils to do the most amazing things for local people and communities. These are also the groups least likely to be using new technologies.  For some it’s not only an issue of resource, it’s an issue of skill and knowledge.  If you don’t know what’s out there, you can’t find it.  And if you don’t have the IT skills to use it anyway, what’s the point? 

The point is that digital technology can save community organisations time, hassle and even money.  There are many amazing digital tools out there which are FREE (or very low cost), and incredibly easy to use.  They’ve often been designed to help organisations do the things that are important to them - like event management, volunteer coordination, fundraising or profile raising.   

That’s why we’ve teamed up with Nominet Trust to create the Community How To service. 

It brings together top digital tools under one roof, alongside case study recommendations by the community groups already using them.  The idea is to help people working in communities find and use new tools.

If you think any of the groups or organisations you work with could be doing more with digital, let them know about Community How To - www.communityhow.com.  If they find a tool they think could help, but don’t think they have the digital skills to make it work, UK online centres are there to help people get to grips with the basics, and get the confidence to give IT a go. 

Take a look at the Community How To service at www.communityhowto.com, and find out more about UK online centres and OCF at www.ukonlinecentres.com, help@ukonlinecentres.com. 

We’d love to hear from you, and we’d love to help you help local community groups do more of what they do best.  

Guest blog from Helen Milner, UK Online Centres.