SCVO digital participation update

Busy working through my emails after the easter break and came across an email from the Digital Participation team at SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) about the first fortnightly update from them.

Items in the update were:

Basic online skills award opportunity

The Big Lottery Fund has announced the shortlist for its basic online skills award. We are working closely with both Tinder Foundationand with BT / Citizens Online to develop and, if successful, deliver activity across Scotland. Right now we are looking for local delivery partners and welcome expressions of interest from anyone who would like to get involved. 

Making digital real

The Carnegie UK Trust published a new report on digital participation, including case studies of the great activity going on at the Wheatley Group and at Digital Fife. The report also includes seven helpful tests for anyone designing projects to promote digital participation.

UK Government digital inclusion strategy

The UK Government has launched a new Digital Inclusion Strategy and Digital Inclusion Charter, with an aim to reduce the number of people who are not online by 25% by 2016. Participation has been a central pillar of the Scottish Government's digital strategy for a number of years now, and we are looking forward to refreshing this in the weeks ahead.

SCVO digital participation

There aim is to

 "keep you up to date with news, events and information about digital participation in Scotland and beyond". They "would love to hear what you are up to" and "if you have news to share" to get in touch with them.

I was curious about receiving the update and SCVO's stance and involvement in digital participation. On there website is a digital participation webpage which says that:

Digital participation is about empowering people and communities to pursue the things that matter most to them.

The third sector will play a critical role in ensuring that everyone is included in the new digital age. SCVO is stepping up its activity on digital participation, working across the public, private and third sectors to promote a Digital Scotland for all. Initiatives intended to raise digital participation must go with the grain of peoples’ lives, and work through the people and organisations that are already trusted sources of support and advice.

This is good news as the third sector is a large sector and involved in a wide range of interests often with people and groups that are not engaged with other sectors or have found them less than supportive.

I would recommend that you have a look at their website and their thoughts / activities. There looks like their our common causes that information literacy / our community could link into / support.