Welcome to the virtual home of the South West Regional ICT Champions at COSMIC, led by Julie Harris. We provide regular updates on funding, projects, activities, information about events and meetings, and generally recommending people in third sector
organisations to get involved in developing ICT.
Contact me – julie@cosmic.org.uk or 01404 813226
Julie Harris is CE of COSMIC a social enterprise delivering ICT services to organisations across the region, with a long track record in assisting voluntary and community organisations to overcome the challenges of modern technology and make the most of ICT in their activities. Julie leads in the role of Regional Champion in the South West with a key aim of being able to increase the capacity of the sector in making effective use of ICT. As Julie says “its all about making sure that technology increases and improves the services and experiences of the people we aim to work for – whether that’s someone accessing support from a charity, or getting advice from a local community group, or someone visiting the local volunteer centre to help them make the most of the time they can offer. There is such potential still to be grasped in making the most of ICT and I am really looking forward to giving this an extra push in this new role.”
· To continue to act as an ICT signposting function to established infrastructure providers of ICT support and services for Third Sector Organisations across their entire region.
· Through the established network of sub-regional contacts; obtain a clear up to date picture on the ICT activity taking place in each ChangeUp sub-regional consortium.
· To determine the current ICT needs at a CVS / Local Infrastructure Organisation level around requirement for events, awareness raising workshops and training both technical and ICT knowledge for general development workers.
· To communicate via their established method of website, blog or newsletter and through the regional network meetings.
· Establish a plan to further develop ICT provision in the areas funded by pump primed projects.
The mission of the Regional Champion is:
To support front-line voluntary and community organisations to understand and be signposted to the range of ICT resources available in their region or at a national level thus enabling them to better achieve their missions of delivering quality services more effectively using this technology.
To map out and then empower existing infrastructure organisations to become sustainable and to work alongside them to deliver sub-regional workshops and other ICT awareness raising initiatives to small grassroots organisations.
General Objectives of the ICT Champion project:
1. To increase senior staff, trustees and operational managers’ understanding and awareness of the strategic benefits of ICT and to plan its strategic use.
2. To ensure that voluntary and community organisations have access to a range of national and sub regional ICT advice, training and support services.
3. To provide access to different models of ICT at a sub regional level support including circuit riders and pro bono initiatives.
4. To increase the range of relevant and affordable private sector products and services through increased understanding of the market place.
5. To ensure funders recognise the critical role and cost benefits of ICT.
6. To increase understanding and awareness of ICT’s critical role in providing and services for particular groups including those with disabilities and elderly people.
(ICT = Information and Communication Technology)
