A regularly updated Blog by the Regional Champions can now be found at
www.swict.wordpress.com
also see here a filmed presentation made to the Regional Harnessing Technology Conference in Taunton, November 2007
http://www.2dot0.co.uk/pages/swrda-a5.html
Regional ICT Champions Mission 
Statement
The two-fold mission statement of the Regional Champion is:
To support front-line voluntary and community organisations to understand and be signposted to the range of ICT resources available in their region or at a national level thus enabling them to better achieve their missions of delivering quality services more effectively using this technology.
To map out and then empower existing infrastructure organisations to become sustainable and to work alongside them to deliver sub-regional workshops and other ICT awareness raising initiatives to small grassroots organizations.
The key aim being that by the end of this project through better resourced and connected infrastructure all regions will be working to a common level platform of co-ordination and championing support in voluntary sector ICT.
Project Background
The ICT Hub is a group of five core voluntary sector organisations who have come together to plan and deliver a co-ordinated framework of ICT guidance, good practice, advice and support for voluntary and community organisations, accessible at a local level. Phase one of our work (from August 2005 to March 2007) significantly increased the level of engagement of the voluntary sector with ICT resources at a national and local level, building on this in phase two we aim to achieve more reach to front line groups through a number of initiatives. Following on from consultations in summer 2006 a network of Regional ICT Champions was proposed in this business plan, accepted by the ICT Hub steering group with funding granted by Capacity Builders.
Please view our Evolve project which supplies totally FREE ICT support to small rural VCOs.
General Objectives
- To increase senior staff, trustees and operational managers’ understanding and awareness of the strategic benefits of ICT and to plan its strategic use.
- To ensure that voluntary and community organisations have access to a range of national and sub regional ICT advice, training and support services.
- To provide access to different models of ICT at a sub regional level support including circuit riders and pro bono initiatives.
- To increase the range of relevant and affordable private sector products and services through increased understanding of the market place.
- To ensure funders recognise the critical role and cost benefits of ICT.
- To increase understanding and awareness of ICT’s critical role in providing and services for particular groups including those with disabilities and elderly people.
Service Provision
Julie Harris is CE of COSMIC a social enterprise delivering ICT services to organisations across the region, with a long track record in assisting voluntary and community organisations to overcome the challenges of modern technology and make the most of ICT in their activities. Julie will be leading in the role of Regional Champion in the South West and is looking forward to being able to increase the capacity of the sector in making effective use of ICT. As Julie says "its all about making sure that technology increases and improves the services and experiences of the people we aim to work for - whether that's someone accessing support from a charity, or getting advice from a local community group, or someone visiting the local volunteer centre to help them make the most of the time they can offer. There is such potential still to be grasped in making the most of ICT and I am really looking forward to giving this an extra push in this new role."
Rob French is our award winning Technology Manager and he oversees our technical support service with a level of IT skills and knowledge which is exceptionally high, matched with a friendly and supportive style which make him popular with all our clients.
Our team brings not only the highest levels of skills and knowledge, but also a friendly and understanding approach to this service which means that no job is too small or too big. Experience ranges from working in small businesses and voluntary organisations, right through to major organisations with a wide ranging and complex IT set-up.