net:gain

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Experts Online is designed as a resource for voluntary sector organisations and small businesses working in rural and urban regeneration.
All users are able to ask questions, which are promptly answered by one of the forum experts.
Experts Online is not an automated help menu, but a panel of real people with specialist expertise who will interpret [...]

Those organisations that undertake the net:gain programme can benefit from:

a whole year’s access to a support network
a reference guide on how to develop their own ICT plan
templates and planning tools that will help them make changes happen
mentoring and advice

The mix of services offered will depend on your local market need, and on maximizing local opportunities [...]

The Community IT Academy (CITA) offers IT goods and services to the voluntary sector in the North East region. Our mission statement “Helping People with IT” says what we aim to do. We aim to help both individuals and organisations with any aspect of IT.
Lynnwood Business Centre
Lynwood
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE4 6UL
contact: Lewis Atkinson
tel: 0191 2565015
email: admin@communityitacademy.org
web: [...]

Electroville is an independent Social Firm with a wealth of experience in the voluntary and community sector. We understand the role ICT plays within your organisation from servers, networks and workgroups through to software applications and ICT users. We aim to work with your organisation to help you understand your own ICT systems and take [...]

Hartlepool Carers has found huge benefits from joining net:gain. They rely on ICT for communication and promotion. However, their ICT maintenance costs had spiralled; even worse, the service didn’t fit their needs. But where to start?
The net:gain offer at their local centre, Belle Vue, was the ideal solution:

net:gain helps organisations to align ICT carefully to [...]

Wilf Ward Trust started in 1986 and now covers much of Yorkshire with 80 respite services.  As the network has grown communications have become more complex, Debs Meade PA to the Chief Executive was given the task of creating an IT strategy to roll out communication across 80 sites.
Debs attended net:gain and felt that
It focused [...]

The Black South West Network is a membership organisation which provides learning materials for trainers and advisers to use in voluntary and community sector organisations and social enterprises.
After attending net:gain Rupert Daniel, a Project Manager at BSWN said:
” We are better focused on our customers and the way we use ICT as a vehicle for [...]

Jack Drum Arts was started in 1986 to provide the community and young people in a rural setting with access to the arts. Office manager, Stacey Taylor, felt there was a need to improve communications wtihin the organisation.
On the net:gain programme Stacey learned to think through problems more widely. Resulting outcomes:

trial of a web-based on-line [...]

Scarborough & District Disablement Action Group (DAG) was set up nearly 20 years ago by disabled people for disabled people. Dealing with over 4,000 enquiries every year, information management is crucial to the efficiency of their service.
DAG Disability Information Officer Paul Seddon said:
‘We had computers but they were under-utilised and it was important to get [...]

It was the constant drive to achieve and demonstrate quality improvement that persuaded Mark Goodman, Chief Officer of Voluntary Youth Services (VYS) Devon, to embark on the net:gain programme at his local centre, Cosmic.
On a practical level VYS has already begun to see:

improved communication between staff
better reporting

Mark says:
‘It helps you learn from others who are [...]