Tuesday 24 October 2017

Farewell Connect Lockleaze and thanks to all of our learners and volunteers

Connect Lockleaze, a partnership project that has been supporting local training and digital inclusion since 2012 is closing at the end of 2017. The Connect Lockleaze partners: Hewlett Packard, University of the West of England, Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust, North Bristol Advice Centre and Stoke Park Children's Centre, came together to meet a need to support locally delivered training and engage with community needs particularly around digital inclusion.



Set up in 2012 with equipment, funding and volunteer support from HP and UWE, it has supported drop-in computer access at the Langley Centre, Cameron Centre and Boing! and has delivered a training on a variety of subjects, including basic IT, tablets, DIY, cooking on a budget, computers for work, food hygiene, first aid, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and more. In addition the project has supported learners, directing them to further training, volunteering or employment opportunities.

After careful consideration the partners have decided that now is the time for local training to be looked at in a different way and therefore will be drawing the Connect Lockleaze project to a close. The project has been hugely successful in embedding training locally and many of the initiatives will continue beyond the project, delivered by local partners. Drop-in computer access continues at the Langley Centre every Tuesday, 10:30-12:30 and at Lockleaze Library. The project has supported over 650 learners and has been supported by over 50 volunteers.

Chair of the project, Sally Gapper, Chief Executive of North Bristol Advice Centre says:

“It has been a huge success and I want to thank all the partners, volunteers and staff involved in this project for their tremendous effort. I am really proud of what we have achieved. A special thanks to Rachel Varley for making the project such a success. It is no longer viable to run this local training partnership project but I am pleased that partners have embedded much of the activity into their core business, and we plan to continue to work to ensure that Lockleaze training needs remain on the agenda.”

The partners would like to take this moment to thank everyone who has been a part of making this project a success, including learners, volunteers and the wider professional community.