The latest Capacity Builders capital funds are focused on creating and/or updating community resource centres. The £5 million fund aims to “increase the access that third sector organisations have to high quality, relevant and affordable shared facilities and services offered by local resource centres across England.”
Because I’ve been working in the sector for so long I can remember when all we ever wanted in our local resource centre was a new Roneo machine, but now my technology wish list would include:
- offering individual laptops for hire
- offering digital projectors for hire
- offering networked broadband services within a shared community building [they’re included in the rent for every tenant in our building]
- setting up a shared IT training room/drop in facility
- next generation telephone systems that provide remote services for small groups
- installing [free] wifi in all public meeting rooms
- network-enabled shared photocopiers and medium-scale colour copiers/printers for higher volume print
- offering video conferencing hardware for rent
- making digital cameras and digital video cameras available for rent
- large screen LCD for presentations in meeting rooms
As ICT Champion I can offer advice and support to anyone from a Consorutium in the south east thinking of bidding for this funding. I can use my own experience to help think about the possible benefits, as well as some of the possible pitfalls to be considered, especially in terms of budgeting for revenue costs.
In many cases I’m not the expert but I do have a grasp of the basics and am able to talk about options and recommend other well-regarded suppliers I’ve come across.
Please contact me by email or call the SCIP office on 01273 234049 if you think this would be useful. And please feel free to pass on my details to anyone involved in your local consortia.
Full details of the funds are available on the Capacity Builders website
Tags: nptechuk
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