1 August 2004

A two-year project designed to bring Gateshead community organisations and voluntary groups online has successfully got 17 community and voluntary groups onboard, with an additional 33 groups expected to come online in the near future.

Using funding from the Invest To Save Budget (ISB), a joint Treasury and Cabinet Office initiative aimed at creating sustainable improvements in the delivery of public services, Gateshead Council and Gateshead Voluntary Organisations Council (GVOC) are working in partnership to supply software, training and related services to local groups through Connect Internet Solutions Limited.

Connect has provided the community organisations with ICT training and access to Connect’s web-based website creation package, ‘SiteMaker’, enabling the groups to create their own websites. Community organisations taking part in the initiative include youth groups, health organisations, charities and education service providers. Groups launching websites inclde the Whickham Hermitage Garden Project, (www.whickhamhermitagegarden.org .uk), a project ran by local residents who are restoring a 19th century garden neglected over the last 50 years or so, and the Gateshead African Community Association, (www.gafricom.co.uk), an organisation of African people living in Gateshead, working towards the vision that the African Community can become an integral part of community life and contribute effectively to a better Gateshead.

A specially designed e-Power portal (www.e-power.org.uk) with online forums has been set up as a focal point and will encourage networking and discussion between community groups. Community groups will also benefit from free access to Gateshead eLearningPlace - set up to deliver online ICT and Internet training.

There is also a free web-based email service, GatesheadMail (www.gatesheadmail.com), offering free email accounts to anyone in the Gateshead community. Any Gateshead residents can set up a free account and get an email address as name@gatesheadmail.com

To ensure the future sustainability of the project, Connect will establish an e-Power Support Unit, training e-Power Support Unit staff to provide on-going hardware and software support, guidance and training for community organisations and voluntary groups.

Carole Boardman, Public Sector Director of Connect Internet Solutions Limited, explains, "The key objective was to create a long term solution through the development of an innovative and sustainable social enterprise that would provide the technology resources required, together with a valuable source of technical support, on-going training and consultancy for local community and voluntary organisations.

"Connect is delighted to be involved in this capacity building initiative which will see a significant increase in the number of Gateshead community organisations with a web presence and boost the number of electronic transactions between the council, the community and other agencies. The ultimate beneficiaries, of course will be those people in the Gateshead area that will benefit from the improved accessibility and availability of services."