Day: October 23, 2012

Use I.T. free with Digital Skills Academy

Roxana Ghita, Project Coordinator at the Digital Skills Academy, shares information about free computer courses:

“Our free Use I.T. courses aim to support unemployed people in Edinburgh. The Digital Skills Academy’s Use I.T. programme offers basic IT training for unemployed people.  It has been developed by Cre8te Opportunities in collaboration with City of Edinburgh Council and Job Centre Plus to address a gap in IT skills.  I have given below some information that explains what the programme is about. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Who is it aimed at?

The programme is aimed at people who have been unemployed for up to 1 year and who lack the basic skills needed for today’s job market.

It offers a combination of 2 key modules:

  • Based on Microsoft Standard Digital Literacy course it offers an introduction to the computing environment covering basic IT skills.
  • Practical job search skills for job hunting including use of job search engines, online CVs, online network, social networking and application forms

What is involved?

  • 5 sessions lasting approximately 3 hours
  • Individuals can complete the course at their own pace
  • Self-study between sessions if wished
  • People can join at any point – roll on/roll off
  • Assessment is made of their current skills
  • Action plan is formed to make sure the key skills areas are covered
  • Delivered in a group setting
  • Receive 1 to 1 support from an IT Trainer

Qualifications?

Clients will have the opportunity to sit a 30 question Microsoft certificated test.  However, all progress will be recorded and acknowledged.

Where and When?

Delivered in existing CEC Community Learning and Developing venues in locations across Edinburgh. Courses are available on weekdays, morning or afternoon.

Referrals

It is easy to refer people on – just phone me on 0131 661 888 and I can make a booking there and then.

Also visit our website at www.digitalskillsacademy.org.uk

and see leaflet for details:

 

Not sosobad – fans out in force for Fairtrade Football

Staff, students, friends and family came out in force to support a first of its kind Fairtrade Football tournament at the new EdinburghCollege on 11 October.

Twelve five-a-side teams made up of staff and students came together to raise awareness of the fair-trade movement – and raised over £300 which will go towards environmental projects happening both in and around the college.

The money raised at this tournment will contribute to prizes for the Green Dragons Den project, which will be held next year and will encourage students to come up with green innovations and then present them in front of real live ‘dragons’.

Sean McDonagh, Learner Development Tutor at Edinburgh College. organised the event. He said: “The support from the staff and students for this event was simply fantastic and it really helped create a real awareness of what the fair trade movement is all about – equality and working together.

“There was a real feeling of camaraderie, experienced by all teams throughout the duration of the day and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part and donated.”

The Scottish Fairtrade Forum donated Fairtrade footballs to the college and Street Soccer also helped out by providing referees on the day. The event is part of Edinburgh Colleges’ overall aim to achieve Fairtrade status.

The winning team on the day was Real Sosobad, who scored 14 goals and took home the Edinburgh College Cup trophy.

Martin Rhodes, Director of the Scottish Fairtrade said: “A lot of the equipment that’s produced for sport is made in sweat shops, usually by children in very poor, in fact, brutal conditions. One of the things that we want to develop is more links between sporting events and the fairtrade movement.”

EdinburghCollege has a clear commitment to supporting and encouraging environmental and sustainable practices and offers and encourages the use of fair-trade products across all of its four campuses.

NENgage – Learn how to do online fundraising

This Thursday we will be holding our fifth NENgage workshop, all about online fundraising. We’ll be hearing from two experienced fundraisers, Mark Cooper and Peggy Hughes, and learning lots about the different tools which you can use, and the best strategies for hitting your targets.

Click here to find out more and to book a place! The session runs from 5:45 to 7:30pm at Stockbridge Library, is open to community groups and active local citizens who live and work in Inverleith. 

There are lots of different tools available to raise funds for projects on the internet – Just Giving, BT My Donate or Virgin Money Giving for registered charities – Kickstarter, We Fund and Indiegogo for creative projects, and specialist sites like Start Some Good and People Fund it for social enterprises. How can even raise money for charity by shopping online, using sites like Give As You Live.

Online donations can be a exciting way to raise money. An online campaign can reach new supporters that traditional fundraising efforts won’t reach – particularly younger supporters. It also raises more than money – it can raise the profile of an organisation too.

It’s also efficient and transparent – the money goes straight into your charities bank account, so there’s no need to deal with and gather cash donations or cheques. People can donate online, or even by text message from their mobile phone, use tools such as JustTextGiving.

A small but growing percentage of charitable giving in the UK is made by online donations – the percentage nearly doubled between 2008 and 2010 from 4% to 7%, and that proportion is likely to rise, so it’s worth learning how these tools work.

But before we get carried away, it’s important to remember that it still takes hard work and effort to run a successful online fundraising campaign. You have to have a plan. You’ll need to write about your project, share pictures and you may need to make a short video explaining what you are hoping to achieve and why to encourage people to give.

You’ll need to drive traffic towards the donations page, using social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. You’ll need to thank and perhaps reward people for giving to your cause – a lot of crowd-funding campaigns offer a sliding scale of rewards for people who give the most.

So, it’s not necessarily an easy option, and you certainly shouldn’t ditch your traditional fundraising efforts – but it is another useful tool for community groups to raise money, and their profile, and one that is sure to get increasingly popular.

Focus falls on over-fifties at West Pilton

 The spotlight falls on the seniors next month when West Pilton will be celebrating older people with a series of social and information events for the over fifties at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

Tuesday 6 November 10.30am – 12.30pm: Fun and Fitness 

Come along for some fun and fitness, followed by a light lunch provided by the Centre.

Thursday 8 November 1 – 3pm: Information Sessions 

Get up to date information on energy efficiency

Have a basic health check

Find out about benefits you may be entitled to (with Granton Information Centre)

Meet your local Councillors

Learn about personal safety from community police officers

And enjoy a buffet lunch courtesy of the Centre!

Friday 9 November 12 – 4pm: Afternoon Social

 Join in with dancing and singing to 50’s, 60’s and 70’s music

Play a game of Bingo or just enjoy the company and entertainment

A buffet lunch will be provided by the Centre.

For further information telephone 551 3194.

 

 

What’s The Matter?

Well, The Matter is a new way for young people to tell their councils and governments what they think about issues that concern them and a group of local teenagers unveiled the first edition of a new publication and presented their findings at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre last night.

Commissioned by the Total Craigroyston initiative, six young people from North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum spent six manic weeks researching, consulting, interviewing, writing and producing their very own newspaper – The Matter – to articulate younger people’s views on how their voices can be heard in the Forth community planning process.

And what were their findings? Well, you’ll have to wait for those – the young people have clearly developed a taste for journalism so they are going to write an article about The Matter themselves for the NEN. Watch this space!

The Matter is supported by design agency Snook in partnership with Young Scot and Firstport, who support new and emerging social entrepreneurs in Scotland.