About Getting
Connected
The project
Below is the introduction
to Getting Connected developed early in 1997. The second
phase: Making
the Net Work
launched in March 2000 at the Active Communities Convention.
Development work had meanwhile been carried forward by
Partnerships
Online.
The story in 1997
Getting Connected is an initiative to to promote the awareness and use of online communication among community development agencies in England. Its first phase takes the form of a series of regional demonstration days leading to a seminar in London, plus back-up materials.
Communities
Online is working on the project
with the Community
Development Foundation and BASSAC
(British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres).
The first phase of the programme has five
elements:
- Regional 'awareness' days, offering people the opportunity to gain basic awareness of the technology. Brighton, Bristol and Sunderland.
- Content development - identifying relevant Community Development material on the World Wide Web, establishing links, stimulating and developing new content.
- Demonstration pages and demonstration disks - a two-disk set with a browser and some sample screens for use offline, to be made available free to local agencies. Content will address issues through resources (articles, FAQs, references) and demonstration gateways (links to applications on this site or to other exemplar sites).
- The third National Seminar on IT for the community sector, hosted by ICL on May 29 1997.
- A briefing day for staff of the Voluntary and Community Division of the Department of National Heritage (now a the Home Office) - who are funding the project - on the Internet and community development .
Getting Connected presentations: May 1997, January 1998, February 1999