Partnerships for Tomorrow
These pages contain introductions by people attending the Partnerships
for Tomorrow events. For other contacts, see IACN
introductions.
G Scott Aikens
Nick Bailey
Jonathan Baker-Bates
Clive Baldock
Mike Brian
Jonathan Brown
Thurstan Crockett
Peter Davis
Peter Day
Mary Doyle
Peter Durrant
David Evans
Dave Fitzpatrick
Dave Greenop
Kevin Harris
Eiko Itoh
Michael Mulquin
Ian Pearson
Nick Plant and Morris Williams
Tracy Stiles
Chris Stokes
Peter Stott
Chris Studman
Kay Wagland
Chris Whitmore
David Wilcox
J Williamson
G Scott Aikens
"G.S. Aikens" <gsa1001@CUS.CAM.AC.UK>
I'm doing a Ph.D. at The University of Cambridge in the Faculty of Social
and Political Sciences. The title of my work is, "American Democracy
and Computer Mediated Communication - A Case Study in Minnesota". Last
fall I worked on an electronic democracy project in Minnesota. I organised
an on-line candidates debate that was forwarded into a public discussion
group of 700 citizen-participants. I'm interested in how such "instrumentalities"
might affect the democratic process if widely implemented. I would be particularly
interested in how these "instrumentalities" might be translated
into British political community.
Nick Bailey
baileyn@wmin.ac.uk (Nick Bailey)
Tel: 0171 911 5000 x3117
Nick Bailey is a principal lecturer in the School of Urban Development &
Planning, University of Westminster. He has carried out extensive research
on partnerships and trusts (particularly those involved in urban regeneration)
and has recently published "Partnership Agencies in British Urban Policy"
(UCL Press, 1995) with Alison Barker & Kelvin MacDonald. He has also
developed considerable practical experience of community participation and
capacity building through his involvement with community organisations in
central London and as co-Chair of the Fitzrovia Trust.
Jonathan Baker-Bates
Jonathan Baker-Bates <jonathan@theframe.com>
Tel: 0171 434 3315
Formerly a freelance translator of Japanese with a degree in the subject
from Sheffield University (1991), I found myself becoming more interested
in themachines I was using to do the job than the job of translating itself.
After finishing (and publishing) a particularly arduous book on the post-war
history of the Japanese monarchy in 1992, I decided to get out of translation
and into something in which I could indulge my technological urges.
While working as a freelance researcher and database designer for a trade
publication in Stockwell (Programme News magazine) last year, I discovered
the then nascent pHreak bulletin board being demonstrated at London's Megatripolis
club. I had tried other bulletin boards, but on seeing pHreak, I became
an instant addict. This addiction did not go unnoticed by pHreak's owners,
Intermedia Associates, who eventually invited me to join them in the construction
of their main on-line project, *the frame.* I now work for Intermedia full-time.
I now fill the few hours I have left in the day after working on both pHreak
and *the frame* by helping to promote the use of on-line systems by non-profit,
community and activist groups/institutions, although I still find time to
have a look at the Yomiuri Shimbun from time to time...
Clive Baldock
cliveb@rsch.org.uk (Clive Baldock)
Tel: 01273 696955 x4387
I am Senior Medical Physicist in the Medical Physics and Nuclear Medicine
Departments, Brighton Health Care NHS Trust, Royal Sussex County Hospital,
Brighton. I have used the Internet for a number of years in a technical
/ scientific capacity whilst working in London teaching hospitals. I conceived
the idea of putting World Wide Web pages for Brighton Health Care NHS Trust
on the Internet towards the end of 1994. On 20th December, 1994 we went
'live'. Since that date I have managed and developed the web pages further.
In the first 3 months 10,000 individuals had accessed the web pages. current
accesses are approximately 700 per week. The aim of pages is to provide
information about the organisation, such as waiting list statistics, press
release, patient services etc. to members of the public, patients and members
of the local medical profession.
Within Brighton Health Care we have a Internet Steering Committee, of which
I am a member, which advises the Trust on all aspects of the Internet. On
4th July, 1995 we hosted a one day workshop 'Towards an Information Superhighway
in Medicine at Sussex University. It was attended by 130 individuals from
all over the UK. Speakers included David Wilcox who spoke about community
networking. As a result of this we plan to host 'MEDNET 96 - European Congress
of the Internet in Medicine' at the Brighton Centre in October 1996. A call
for papers will be issued during October this year. I am interested in developing
all aspects of the internet as a medical resource for local communities.
Mike Brian
esccplan@pavilion.co.uk (Mike Brian)
Tel: 01273 481619
Head of research at East Sussex County Planning department. Responsible
for organising "Multimedia 2000" conference recently held at Sussex
University. Currently trying to set up an organisational arrangement that
will bring the local commercial, voluntary/community and public sectors
together to advance a range of projects exploiting the benefits of new information
technology for the citizens and businesses of Sussex.
Jonathan Brown
Jonathan Brown<100670.3467@compuserve.com>
Tel: 0171 713 6161
Jonathan is the Development Officer of the Rural Team of the National Council
for Voluntary Organisations. He has written on fundraising for Rural Voluntary
Action and on funding from Europe. Previously Assistant Director of Powys
Rural Council, he developed several community based projects including a
radio station and two rural childcare projects.
Thurstan Crockett
Tel: 0121 212 9221
Thurstan Crockett is the new Information Manager for the Shell Better Britain
Campaign, which has recently been revised to support community-based sustainable
development. A central part of the new Campaign is the three year development
of a major Information Service with a commitment to using new media technologies.
Thurstan's background is in journalism, campaigning, community action, local
group development and fundraising.
Peter Davis
P.G.Davis@open.ac.uk (Peter Davis)
Tel: 01908 652183
My interest in the 18th Sept forum is its community network agenda.
I have been involved in setting up and developing Milton Keynes Community
Network for the last year or so with a particular interest in its capability
to support links between school age students and adults other than teachers
both inside and outside of curriculum settings.
MKCN at present involves about 30 groups and organisations and 13 schools
in Milton Keynes albeit embryonically. MKCN has a virtual link with another
community network in Las Vegas Nevada which to my knowledge at the moment
is the first international community to community link of its kind in the
world.
MKCN is supported by First Class. We have a gateway to the Internet for
communication purposes and are developing means to give schools full internet
access. We have done this to a limited extent. We also have an available
Web site for local schools and organisations to use. The Mark 1 MKCN home
page is at:
http://www-emrg.open.ac.uk/mkcn/mkcn.html from Monday 4th Sept
Peter Day
day <P.Day@bton.ac.uk>
Tel: 01273 643513
I'm employed as a Research Assistant at the Department of Library and Information
Studies, University of Brighton, where I'm also researching a PhD. My main
focus is the social impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT)
on a variety of communities. I have collaborated with a number of trades
unions in raising awareness of ICT related issues such as telework and am
currently undertaking a comparative case study of UK and Scandinavian Telecottage
initiatives. I am also investigating the potential for a Telecottage initiative
in East Sussex with a local authority and educational institutions. My research
stems from a human-centred, participative approach to ICT design and development.
I feel strongly that tripartite collaboration and co-operation between public,
private and not-for-profit sectors is the only way forward for the development
of a socially acceptable information infrastructure. I believe Community
Networks to be an exciting and innovative initiative and a refreshing departure
from the often techno-economic driven Information Society debate.
Mary Doyle
Mary Doyle <100607.542@Compuserve.com>
Tel: 0171 706 4951
Assistant Director Development Trusts Association, the DTA is a membership
organisation for community development trusts and their partners across
England, Wales and N.Ireland. Community Development Trusts are partnership
organisations engaged in economic, social and environmental regeneration.
The Association presently has 120 members.
The DTA provides training, advice, information, consultancy, a regular newsletter,
conferences and development support services to members. We are in the process
of developing a "new" information system with on-line access for
e-mail, bulletin board and WWW. The information system needs to respond
the information needs of both our members and partners. We intend to "grow"
the information system interactively and organically with our members and
partners, it is this work that has dragged me kicking and screaming into
the world of the "information superhighway".
My concerns around these developments focus on the feeling of travelling
the highway in a "Skoda" (for reasons of resource economy), being
aware that many organisations are not even in possession of an appropriate
vehicle and some legitimate fears around who does the road building programme
and who's involved in any tolling system, in addition to the issues that
surround the ability of not for profit organisations and those people they
work with and for to access, be empowered by, have interactivity with appropriate
information and colleagues and use these tools to take control of their
own lives, neighbourhoods, towns, villages etc.
My expectation for the meeting:
* an opportunity to meet other people facing the challenges of this "new
world"
* an on-going forum for debate and discussion
* an forum for sharing promising practise and the pleasures and pains of
these initiatives
* a place for not for profit organisation to discuss and debate (off and
on-line) issues/challenges of particular relevance to them and the sector
* the development of a forum that is inclusive not exclusive
* development of a group which wishes to take the issues outlined above
forward development of a group who wish to contribute to each others understanding
and learning
My back ground in mostly in the not for profit sector ( paid and unpaid)
in community development and community economic development providing information,
advice, training, consultancy, management development for not for profit
organisations. I have occasionally strayed into the public and private sectors
delivering training, development and consultancy services to small and medium
enterprises. I have been active in the local voluntary sector wherever I
have lived and was until my move to London involved in the development of
a community information network (on and off line), which stalled at the
hurdle of access to and integration with partners databases and enquiry
systems.
Peter Durrant
Peter Durrant <thedurrants@cityscape.co.uk>
Tel: 01223 262759
Peter Durrant is the Co-ordinator of the Brit. Assoc. of Social Workers
Special Interest Group on Community Social Work as well as a member of the
Standing Committee for Community Development, Assoc. of Community Workers
et al. For the past ten years he has worked part-time as a development worker
in Cambridge with a recently established Consortium, made up of Health,
Community Education and Social Services, working with individuals and families
with learning difficulties. Together with a range of other interests including
Credit Unions, Food Coops and the like. Or, more philosophically, community
development approaches which offer an alternative and/or a complementary
approach to mainstream social work.
David Evans
ex2014@ccug.wlv.ac.uk (David Evans)
Tel: 01902 353929
I'm Director of Open Learning at Bilston Community College, where we're
in the process of establishing a First Class based Community network, hopefully
with European funding, over the next year or so. Our interest in the educational
and access side of community networks, but we're working with a wide variety
of organisations (schools, SMEs, churches, mosques, tenants associations,
voluntary sector groups etc.) to create something which will have spin-offs
for all those involved, and a lot more besides. We're planning to develop
a WWW site as well, and other projects involving video conferencing, access
for the house bound etc.
Dave Fitzpatrick
Dave Fitzpatrick <d.fitzpatrick@lond.geonet.de >
Tel: 0171 241 2162
Managing Director Computer Access
Computer Access is a not for profit community sector organisation of some
13 years standing that offers independent advice, support, consultancy and
training in information technology.
In the last few years, Computer Access has piloted and now implemented a
full secure e-mail system (under GeoNet) that now offers full graphic access
to and from the Internet. Electronic publishing is also part of their service.
Projects currently include the developing and implementation of a "Teleregion"
for East London & the Lee Valley, offering full broad band access across
the 6 London Boroughs contained within the region.
As a pioneering organisation within this area of "telematics",
Computer Access is keen to disseminate appropriate information as widely
as possible to avoid any organisation re-inventing the wheel. Working with
Poptel/Soft Solution in this context, current clients range from the CBI
to the Labour Party... as well as numerous community sector organisations.
Dave Greenop
"Greenop, Dave" <GREENOPD@oldpaul.agw.bt.co.uk>
BT European Platform Strategy Manager
David Greenop has worked for BT since graduating in Physics and Logic from
Sussex University in 1975. He has a Master degrees in Telecommunications
from Essex University. His early work within BT included the development
of mathematical models and tools for planning telecommunications networks,
he had involvement in the design of BTs current digital network.
Over the last seven years he has been involved in the development of BTs
future network and technology vision. This included forward looking work
that identified for BT many of the key issues that we now group under the
banner of 'Information Superhighways'. David has also been heavily involved
in working with other European Telecommunication companies on future pan
European strategic studies. The outputs of this European work has influenced
the Bangermann Report on The Information Society and the recent G7 conference
in Brussels on the same topic. David has become increasingly aware of the
social implications of the new technology and in particular how it can be
used to exploit and dis-empower the individual rather than enrich our lives.
Kevin Harris
cdf@geo2.poptel.org.uk (Kevin Harris)
Tel: 0171 226 5375
Head of Information, Community Development Foundation (since 1987). Formerly
British Library Research Fellow studying online use by end users (remember
them?). Established Volnet UK database service jointly with the Volunteer
Centre UK, online since 1989, on CD ROM since 1993, available through the
Internet since 1994. Former Chair of INVOG (Info Workers in Vol Orgs) and
ASSIG (Aslib Social Sciences Info Group). Secretary to ITaC (IT & Communities)
Working Party, part-funded by BT and IBM, which produced the report 'Press
enter' in 1992, and other papers. Served on IBM Community Computing Fund
Panel and the associated research group. Er, what else. Currently: Secretary
to INSINC, IBM-sponsored working party on Social Inclusion in the Information
Society. Carrying out research into 'public libraries, vol orgs and the
internet'. Organising conference and drafting strategy paper on public libraries
and community development. Working with a consortium of CD agencies to set
up a bulletin board and get up to speed using email.
Role: promoting the sharing of information, and its exploitation, in community
sector.
Dream: documented, evaluated evidence of the difference this technology
can make to community orgs achieving their objectives.
Eiko Itoh
Tel: 0171 381 6276
I am a Japanese postgraduate student at the University of Sheffield , doing
an MSc in Information Management. The dissertation that I am working on,
is providing MIND's (Mental Health Charity Organisation) information on
the Web. Part of this work, requires me to do a research on the use of the
Internet by Voluntary Sector Organisations and the various implications
related to this. In order to consider the implications of using the Internet,
one needs to be aware of what is happening with regard to Community Information
Networking. I would be finishing this course by the beginning of September
after which I will be moving to London.
Michael Mulquin
Michael Mulquin <ASTON-CIU@LOND.GeoNet.de >
Tel: 0181 519 2244
I co-ordinate a team of 11 people - the Community Involvement Unit, working
in Newham (East London), the most deprived borough in England and Wales.
It also has one of the highest percentages of ethnic minorities in the country
(at least 42%) and has the most ethnically diverse population. In short,
it is a very exciting place to live and work. We seek to "encourage
and equip the people of Newham to work together to effectively tackle issues
of poverty, deprivation, discrimination, prejudice, disadvantage and powerlessness."
We help in the setting up of community groups, provide training and support
in the areas of financial and organisational management to community groups
and maintain a library, including access to on-line databases for the benefit
of community groups. We also have a strong research programme looking at
key issues relating to community and the voluntary sector. Newham Council
has been granted #2 million from Europe to set up multi media kiosks around
the borough to provide access points for information and help and we have
begun working with them on developing the project. We are very new to electronic
networking, but are trying to ensure that the voluntary sector in Newham
benefits from the technology and, more generally, are wanting to make sure
that poor communities are not further excluded by developments in electronic
communications.
Ian Pearson
Ian Pearson <ian.pearson@bt-sys.bt.co.uk>
Ian Pearson graduated in 1981 in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
from Queens University, Belfast . After four years in the defence industry,
he joined BT Laboratories, where he was involved in analysing the performance
of computer networks and protocols and helped develop ATM transmission over
optical networks. He has since become more generalised, covering broadband
networks and services, and advising on the telecommunications impacts of
new developments throughout information technology.
Nick Plant and Morris Williams
nick.plant@csm.uwe.ac.uk (Nick Plant), morris.williams@csm.uwe.ac.uk
Tel: 01272 656261
Nick Plant and Morris Williams of the University of the West of England
Department of Computing come from a voluntary sector background, and their
experience includes IT consultancy, training, support and software development
in community organisations, extensive involvement in community development
and management training for voluntary organisations. As academic staff in
the School of Information Systems, their work remains closely focused on
the community and voluntary sector, involving them both for example in the
Department's pioneering student consultancy projects in community organisations,
voluntary sector consultancy work, and several significant research and
development projects.
Morris and Nick are both starting work currently on a local project on the
use of new communications technologies in community organisations. Amongst
other concerns, this work involves them in: mapping out and evaluating existing
"community telematics" provision in the light of the limited general
IT infrastructure available to the voluntary sector; defusing the hype and
examining in detail at a practical, grass roots local level the potential
for new forms of information exchange within the community sector; identifying
through pilot sites the telematics infrastructure required to deliver sustainable
benefits to community organisations; and disseminating findings regularly
in an accessible manner.
The project involves a participative approach including active local partnership
work. We are also committed to linkage with partners at a national and international
level, for mutual benefit where resources permit. We are for example keen
to work on local/regional events linked with national developments, contribute
project findings to appropriate publications, and do human and electronic
networking around areas of mutual interest.
Individual and project-specific WWW pages are in the pipeline and we will
publicise these, and alternative print-based sources of further information,
soon. Meanwhile, we can be contacted as shown below.
Tracy Stiles
lvsc-library@geo2.geonet.de (Tracy Stiles)
Tel: 0171 700 0100
I work in the Voluntary Sector Resource Centre library in North London.
I am employed by London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) - the umbrella
organisation supporting London's voluntary sector. The library provides
information on organisational development issues, such as funding and personnel
matters. There is also a social policy section.
We have recently gone online and want to look at ways of using the new technology
to enhance the service we provide. We would also like to disseminate information
to the voluntary sector in London on what it means to be online, and what
the possibilities are, and to encourage their involvement.
I still have a lot to learn about the new technology and I am concerned
about the issue of avoiding an information elite, and would like to find
ways of encouraging and enabling access and usage of this technology to
smaller voluntary groups, not just the larger and more established ones.
Chris Stokes
c.stokes@lancaster.ac.uk (Chris Stokes)
In 1994 I converted from engineering to the sociology of science and technology.
In my past life I graduated in electrical engineering, did a masters in
artificial intelligence, worked for a time for the UK Atomic Energy Authority
(no longer, honest!), worked for a firm of patent agents, and then as a
research assistant at Lancaster University in conceptual engineering design.
I started a PhD in 1994 on the ways in which technologies and associated
practices come to have the stable forms they usually achieve, with a specific
interest in information highways. I'm doing this in the Centre for Science
Studies and Science Policy at Lancaster University.
My interest in community networks is a result I suppose of work I was doing
earlier this year for my PhD and reading Howard Rheingold's book, 'Virtual
Community'. Since then I have adopted community networking as a specific
arena in which a technology and associated practices are in the process
of stabilising, and one related to information highways.
However, I am not playing the part of the good old-fashioned sociologist
in all of this. That sociologist would have insisted on maintaining ananalytical
distance between herself/himself and the object of study. I do not; indeed
I cannot. I certainly wouldn't call myself a technological optimist, still
less a technological Utopian. I think the things that people call 'technology'
and the other things they usually don't but which nevertheless are inextricably
tied up with them are not inherently 'good' or a sure sign of the 'progress
of civilisation' (as we approach the 50th anniversary of the atom-bombing
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). I do think we need to rewrite the histories
and current discourses of technology.
Peter Stott
100533.2643@compuserve.com (Peter Stott)
Tel: 0141 339 7564
I'm now a consultant specialising in local and community economic development.
Previously I was the Head of Strathclyde Regional Council's Partnership
Office which sought to support and develop initiatives in disadvantaged
areas which address issues of economic and social exclusion. During the
last 20 years my focus in economic development work has shifted from physical
redevelopment projects to more holistic, community and people based approaches.
In my new career I am continuing to work in this area, particularly on the
use of European funding for economic and social cohesion projects. One of
the things that the local economic companies and projects in the West of
Scotland have realised is that they are not exploiting the possibilities
of electronic networking. I am currently working on the development of a
process which will establish this network. 100533.2643@compuserve.com
Chris Studman
chris@ecosaur.demon.co.uk (Chris Studman)
Tel: 01203 711185
Long background in environmental movement, formerly worked for Friends of
the Earth in London. Now working with a number of environmental groups helping
them get established on the Internet. Also involved in setting up Coventry
Community Network
Kay Wagland
kaywagland@gn.apc.org (Kay Wagland)
Tel: 01903 884926
I trained as a programmer and a systems designer working on mainframes,
but 5 years ago moved over to community research. I worked on self-sustainability
of a community environmental networks facilitated by a(personal) computer
system (what is she rabbiting on about?!!). Theoutcome of this was published
in a practical paper called ' Working Togetherin Sustainable Networks' for
Hampshire County Council, CountrysideCommission and English Nature. Since
then I have worked on a freelancebasis, providing community IT support and
working on some EUTeleworking/Telematics reports (yawn).
I am about to move on again to become the Local Agenda 21 officer for TowerHamlets.
I am interested in information management, and people and information leading
the technology (as opposed to the current trend)! as well as the potential
role of IT in moving towards sustainable living.
Chris Whitmore
100111.3515@compuserve.com (Chris Whitmore) 01273 606767
I've been building databases for use by community organisations since 1988
and am currently a director of Information for Action Ltd selling database
software and consultancy to a market which is split roughly 75% Voluntary
Sector to 25% Statutory Sector. I'm a Clipper programmer and, for my sins,
I've now started using Visual Objects to embrace the wacky world of Windows.
At various times in the past I've been involved in the running of Brighton's
development education centre (Worldwise), our local cycle campaign group
(Bricycles) and, to a lesser extent, got caught up in a whole range of campaigns
and lost causes.
David Wilcox
<dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk>
Tel: 01273 677377
I spent 12 years as a journalist, mainly with the Evening Standard in the
1970s. Since then I have worked as a consultant, trainer and writer specialising
in community participation and partnership building. I have been the voluntary
chair of the North Kensington Amenity Trust (developing 20 acres of land
under a motorway), and I'm now chair of the North Laine Community Association
(or Bohemian Brighton as the official guide has it).
I'm interested in community electronic networks because they seem to challenge
elites. The readers become writers, public bodies are challenged to put
information into the public domain, partnerships become more widely based
IF..... people have access to the technology, the information and discourse
is well structured, and virtual communities are based on real ones.
J Williamson
J Williamson <xtg035@cent1.lancs.ac.uk>
I am currently studying and working at the University College of St.Martin,
Lancaster, in the Community and Youth Studies dept.
I research computer networks and the implications for communities, workers
and trainers, and am actively involved in the development and establishment
of a college wide campus network (linking the department to the whole internet)
which will be in place in the Autumn.
My specific interest (research) areas include:
* Development and use of the internet by community agencies and groups,
resulting intercommunication, use of the WWWeb for this process.
* Internet accessibility and equal opportunities in accessing networked(internet)
communications and informational resources.
Prepared by David Wilcox dwilcox@pavilion.co.uk
September 8 1996
This page URL http://www.webserve.bt.com/communities/p4tintros.html