IT Course Success!

Connect Lockleaze recently held a 6 week IT course at the Langley Centre, Lockleaze. The course was run by Kevin Brown, an IT Technical Service Manager at Aon Hewitt. The 6 participants learnt basic IT skills such as using the mouse and keyboard, writing a Word document, creating an email account, sending emails, attaching documents and finding money saving products online. They were also given the chance to bring in their own laptops or tablets for individual tuition.

The course was a great success and participants gave us excellent feedback:

"I enjoyed everything! The friendly atmosphere, the patient staff and the small number of the class."

"I had a great time learning how to use a computer as I did not have a clue until I came to the Langley Centre. The staff were very friendly, made you feel welcome and were easy to get on with. I have learnt a great deal more about computers now."


Janie, who helped to run the course, said "This was a great group to work with, everyone was keen to learn and helped each other too. It was great to see their confidence raised in using the computer as well as making a few financial savings. Kevin is a great tutor and took the time to answer all the questions raised - and there were quite a few!"

Well done to everyone who took part in the course - we hope you continue to benefit from your newly acquired skills!

If you are interested in enhancing your IT skills, please ring Connect Lockleaze on 0117 909 1749 to see how we can help you.

Give someone the perfect photo gift this Christmas!

We are holding a free workshop to help you make and order the perfect photo gift. The workshop will be held at Boing! (The Blake Centre), on Thursday 5th December, from 1.00-3.00 pm. With Christmas coming up, a photo gift is the perfect present to show someone you care, and you get to develop your IT skills at the same time!

You can make a range of gifts including:

• Calendars (from £7.99)
• Mugs (from £5.75)
• Key rings (from £3.75)
• And more!

Don't forget to bring your photos! You can bring them on a memory stick, digital camera or mobile phone - or you could email them to yourself. While the workshop is free, you will need to bring some cash for anything you order.

To book a place or for further enquiries, please ring Boing! on 0117 377 0406.

Why can older people be reluctant to learn about computers?

As computers and the internet become more important in our increasingly digital age, older people are among the groups that become digitally excluded or digitally dismissive. So what is it that puts older people off learning to use computers?

According to a study by Age UK, there are 3 main reasons why older people feel discouraged. These are:

• A lack of confidence and understanding about how computers work. What to do, what to press and the fear of doing something wrong, as well as fear over Internet safety, can put people off.
• Feelings of inertia can result from the large skills gap, feeling too old to learn or worrying that it would be too hard to learn. 
• Concerns about affordability lead a lot of older people to feel that the cost of computers and broadband is too high, particularly on a fixed pension. Although the perception was that costs have recently fallen, many feel they can't justify spending a large amount of money on something they may not frequently use.

Source: Age UK - Introducing another world: older people and digital inclusion.

Connect Lockleaze provides support to help older people overcome these barriers. We have friendly volunteers on hand and willing to help; they can answer any questions or reassure any worries. We will make sure that you feel both comfortable and safe when using a computer. No question is too silly and no problem is too big. Even if you have never touched a computer, we can help you learn how to use one and banish any worries you may have - it's not too hard and you're never too old! Don't think that you have any use for computers or the internet? Let us prove you wrong! The help with and use of the equipment is completely free, so money need not be an issue.

Get in touch to see how we can help you. Call Connect Lockleaze on 0117 909 1749. We look forward to hearing from you!

Friday Drop-In Sessions

Connect Lockleaze are excited that our Community Learning Hub drop-in sessions have begun! They take place every Friday afternoon at Boing! (The Blake Centre) from 1.30 to 3pm and will be running until the 27th of November.

If you'd like to improve or develop your IT skills, you can come along and use our free IT equipment while friendly volunteers are on hand to give any help should you need it. Maybe you have one particular IT problem that is bothering you or you want to become more familiar with the internet to help you find a job? We can help whatever your needs or abilities. If you don't have the time to commit to a course but still want to develop your IT skills, our drop-in sessions could be just what you need.

We had our first session on Friday 25th October where Elaine popped along for some help with a problem she was having with Microsoft Word. Volunteers also helped Elaine with her smart phone. Elaine said, 'I love coming to the hub on Fridays. I feel so lucky I am able to attend and have wonderful tutors, plus really good equipment all for free.'

If you think that you, or anyone you know, would benefit from these sessions, please feel free to come along. All ages and abilities are welcome! If you'd like some more information, please call Connect Lockleaze on 0117 909 1749.

Vote for Connect Lockleaze to win a 'Voscur'!

We are very happy to announce that Connect Lockleaze has been nominated for a 'Voscur'! We have been nominated for the Best Idea into Action Award, as part of Voscur’s Bristol Voluntary and Community Sector awards. This is an award ‘for the voluntary or community project that has had a great idea and put it into practice.’ 

In an increasingly digital age we aim to help those who may not have a computer or internet access at home, or simply need a bit of help understanding it all. Thanks to donations from HP, we have been able to provide local people with free access to computers, laptops, printers and Wi-Fi. We have 3 Community Learning Hubs in Lockleaze around Gainsborough Square where, thanks to volunteers, people can get one to one help with computers and the internet and access a range of courses or one-off taster sessions.

Our drop-in sessions have just restarted on a Friday afternoon, where the public can use the computers at their leisure, with friendly volunteers on hand to give any help should it be needed. From people who want to become more IT proficient in order to enhance their employment prospects, to those who simply want to be able to use Skype, emails or social media to keep in contact with family and friends, we aim to help everyone that wants to improve their IT skills.

We also host other exciting activities and courses for members of the community, such as cookery, DIY, money saving workshops, digital photography and first aid. If you’d like to show your support for Connect Lockleaze and the work we do, we would love it if you could take the time to vote for us. Voting closes on the 1st of November at 5pm.

You can vote for us and find out more about the award here:
http://www.voscur.org/vote/best-idea-action-award

Many thanks!

ITea and Biscuits Week!

Over 5 million people in later life have never been on the internet? And there are many more who struggle to do all the things they would like to online.

Well the good news is that Connect <> Lockleaze, working with NBAC's Community Support @ Home project, is looking for suggestions for an event to run as part of the Digital Inclusion Network's ITea and Biscuits week from 16th to 22nd September 2013.

The idea is to encourage people who don't currently use computers, tablets or smartphones to get involved and discover the wide range of the benefits that digital technology can offer! 

Here are just a few ideas of what our session could cover:

• Digital photography
• Researching family history online
• Using Skype and email to keep in touch
• How to send a text on a mobile phone
• Using a search engine
• Demystifying the world wide web

So, if you have any suggestions please email us at connectlockleaze@gmail.com

A Girl Called Jack... great ideas for cheap recipes and more!

For those of you who are looking to be thrifty when it comes to shopping and food, I suggest you head to the blog 'A Girl Called Jack'. She (Jack) gives excellent ideas for cheap recipes (spiced potato soup for 10p per portion), as well as sharing her genuine experiences of being a single mum living on benefits. She manages to buy food and make meals for her and her child for £10 per week!!! She's also somewhat of a political activist, campaigning for politicians to end world hunger and to put food poverty in Britain firmly on the political agenda.

Anyway, take a look at the blog for yourself at...

http://agirlcalledjack.com/

Happy reading!! :)

Delicious! Free Cookery Course from Connect<>Lockleaze

Join Connect <> Lockleaze's free course to learn about basic cooking and preparation techniques and how to buy food and make family meals that are good value for money. 

We’ll make a different meal every week!

Day: Thursday

Date: 1st to 29th August 2013

Time: 9:30am to 11:30am

Duration: 5 weeks

Where: Cameron Centre, Cameron Walk, Lockleaze, BS7 9XB

Cost: Free

plus… free childcare available!!

To book: Call or text Kate Hunter on 07546 451888 or 0117 914 1129

New work club meeting today...

Connect <> Lockleaze are excited to be hosting the first meeting of our new Work Club today at the Langley Centre from 2pm to 4pm. Please come and say hello!

Although it has taken a little longer than anticipated to get going, we are delighted to welcome Kevin Byrne of Pluss. He will be hosting the first Forwards Work Club in Lockleaze.

Forwards Work Clubs aim to help people find and stay in work. Friendly and supportive there is no pressure to rush into work - rather they give you advice and support to help with your specific needs. This includes:

- confidence

- volunteering

- preparing your CV

- interview skills

- job search

We look forward to seeing you later.

What objects say Lockleaze to you?!

Following on from our session at Boing! on 10th May where we got together to share memories of Lockleaze ... M Shed now want to create an 'Object Box', containing items that tell a story about Lockleaze, as part of the forthcoming exhibit. T

This photograph shows the type of objects displayed in the box for Clifton and Hotwells

SO...
if you have any objects that you think relevant to Lockleaze and it's history, please contact: Ben Meller at ben.meller@bristol.gov.uk or on 0117 903 1565.

I hear on the grapevine that North Bristol Advice Centre are donating one of their mugs!


NOTE: Latest news is that the ‘Lockleaze’ exhibit is expected end of July/beginning of August with an “official launch” probably in September.

Connect <> Lockleaze Spring Online Event - 2nd out of 107 countrywide!

Connect <> Lockleaze are thrilled that our recent event at Boing! was shortlisted by a panel of independent judges, from no less than 107 events across the country, to receive a Best Event Award as part of the National Digital Conference, ND2013.

We made it from the shortlist of ten to the top three finalists and we collected a runner up award from Baroness Bakewell DBE on 11 June 2013 at a ceremony in London. 

The judges praised our event as “an innovative approach to teaching essential digital skills and a great way of showing how the internet can be used for fun and unusual activities.”

So ... another certificate for our wall and a great sense of achievement for the project as a whole, as well as a true collaboration between University of West of England and Boing! that was mutually beneficial. 

We would like to give Georgie Batt at Boing! a special mention becauseshe used the event to reach out to the neighbouring area of Eastgate so the project had that extra element of strategy and success, as well as being a lot of fun.

Write up of recent Celebration of Learning Event

A write up of the recent Celebration of Learning event is now available on the GoLearn.me website ... a chance to see who else won an award, besides Connect <> Lockleaze of course!

Here is our very own Gail Bowen-Huggett receiving the Partnership Award from Jon Gamble, the Director of Community Learning from the National Skills Funding Agency...

Keep up-to-date with 8th National Digital Conference: Going Digital

The 8th National Digital Conference, ND13: Going Digital kicks-off from tomorrow, 11th June 2013 at the Congress Centre, London. 

Day 1 will focus specifically on Digital Skills, exploring practical solutions, best practice and partnerships to build and sustain a skilled digital society. 

Day 2 will focus on Digital Enterprise, examining how to support and drive growth in the SME sector, as well as how to work with and empower Government to support and a sustainable digital economy.

It will bring together over 250 senior Government, business and NGO leaders to explore the role technology can play in transforming the nation’s skills, businesses and Government services. Age UK’s Chief Executive, Tom Wright will specifically look at the challenges facing those who remain offline and what role communities, partnerships, networks and innovation can play to drive better access and support people online and gain the skills they need.

Register for the FREE webcast at www.nd13.co.uk/live.php

Connect<>Lockleaze to attend NIACE free event on Community Learning and Volunteering

Jo Earl, Connect <> Lockleaze Co-ordinator at UWE, will be attending the NIACE Community Learning and Volunteering event in Birmingham on 25th June 2013.

It looks like a great event and hopefully we can learn from the Community Learning Trust pilots and other innovative practice...
_______________________________

Background
Volunteering is poised to become part of the community learning mainstream. The current policy drive to expand the role of volunteering in community learning reflects increased recognition of the valuable role that volunteers can play. Established initiatives such as Community Learning Champions, Union Learning Representatives and Workplace Learning Advocates have shown the diverse ways in which volunteers in communities and unionised and non-unionised workplaces respectively can enhance the work of providers and bring benefits for learners. Across sectors as diverse as health, offender resettlement, community development and financial advice, numerous volunteers linked to voluntary and community organisations support learning, often as part of a wider role. And for many of the Community Learning Trust pilots, developing volunteers has been an important dimension of their innovative partnership approaches.

Volunteering has a critical place within the community learning reform agenda. Greater involvement of volunteers in the planning and delivery of learning is a key way in which providers can both strengthen their work locally and ensure that it aligns with national policy objectives for community learning. It can help to achieve better outcomes for learners, communities, partner organisations and strategic stakeholders. On the one hand, volunteers can act as a bridge between providers and their communities, helping to engage communities in consultation and decision making so that provision is genuinely determined by local needs. On the other, they can inspire and support excluded adults to re-engage in learning, succeed and progress, and the additional resources that providers secure in the form of volunteers’ time, skills, knowledge and experience represents an important dimension of “Pound Plus”, that is the added financial value in cash or in kind that accrues around the core of public funding.

Drawing on the lessons and experiences of both established and emerging initiatives, and including contributions from volunteers themselves, this workshop will support community learning providers and partners to understand how to make the most of the opportunities presented for their own work.

Aims
The workshop aims to support community learning providers to develop and embed effective approaches to involving volunteers in their work. It will:

• share lessons from the Community Learning Trust pilots and other national and local initiatives on effective approaches to strengthening the relationship between community learning and volunteering;
• identify the key strategic and operational factors for successfully developing and embedding volunteering within community learning;
• show how community learning volunteers can play a vital role in helping to deliver local strategic priorities in areas such as health and wellbeing;
• explore how a focus on volunteering opens up the potential for building closer partnerships with voluntary and community sector organisations and widening the provider base for community learning;
• identify the lessons for community learning providers from peer volunteering initiatives in other sectors, and explore the scope for building closer relationships with these;
• share innovative approaches to capturing and demonstrating the impact and value of volunteering;
• hear directly from volunteers about their experiences and the difference their role has made.

Outcomes
The workshop will:

• raise awareness among providers of the potential role and contribution of volunteers within community learning;
• strengthen the role of volunteers within community learning, by promoting adoption of a robust and effective model for supporting their work;
• develop closer links between peer volunteer initiatives with an interest in learning;
• contribute to the further development of work to capture and demonstrate the impact of volunteering.

_______________________________

Can't wait to hear Jo feedback what she learns!

And the Winner is ... Connect <> Lockleaze!

Here is Gail Bowen-Huggett, our Training Development Coordinator, proudly displaying our West of England Community Learning Partnership Award!

The Partnership Award was sponsored by Bloodhound and was awarded for excellent joint community learning work that has involved a number of local partners that have pooled their resources to reach and support learners to achieve.

Connect <> Lockleaze is all about partnership working - Hewlett Packard, University of West of England, North Bristol Advice Centre and Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust working together to establish training suites in Lockleaze and to encourage both informal and formal learning

Gail received the award at a Celebration of Learning event in City Hall last Friday, 24th May, held as part of the national Adult Learners Week in May.

Easy Online Learning...

Don't worry if you can't make it to one of our classes ... just come along to one of our Open Sessions and use a computer to access the UK Online Centre's new improved Learn My Way site.

It has a massive choice of courses including filling in forms online, socialising, shopping, applying for jobs and a new health section. 

An updated Learning Planner tracks all courses on the site so you can pick up where you left off when you log back into the site. 

If you have a smart phone, the site is also now optimised for mobile usage. 

Visit the website for more information.

Get connected for as little as £35

Well, you've been on our courses and now you want to use what you have learned at home...

Connect <> Lockleaze want our area to be truly inclusive and connected - a place where anyone who wants a computer at home can have one and where help to get connected is easily available.

Fortunately, there is a citywide scheme available to help us with our aim, making available a low cost recycled computer to individuals and families who are on a low income or who experience other disadvantages. These refurbished computers will be available to eligible applicants for £35.00 which includes telephone support and advice on how best to get connected to the Internet.

If you, a friend or family member would like to apply, you can find an application form here.

You can also email Pete Britten at pete.britten@bristol.gov.uk
or
you can write to Recycled computers(CH/404), Freepost SWB 535, Bristol BS1 5BR.

Connect <> Lockleaze offers Single Topic Workshops

Following on from a number of very successful 5 week computer courses, Connect <> Lockleaze and North Bristol Advice Centre's Community Support at Home project are now offering a series of one day workshops that concentrate on a single topic.

The idea is to give you a chance to develop new skills and discover new internet opportunities that are appropriate to your specific needs, interests or concerns. 

Our first workshop, held last week on 21st May, concentrated on 'Shopping on the Internet' and one of the topics discussed was how to know if a site is safe for you to give your credit card details. This workshop was so popular that we will probably run it again. If you would be interested, please contact Edward on  0117 951 5751.

As you can see below, we have 4 more lined up so all you need to do is pick and choose the ones that interest you!

4th June - 'Staying Safe On-line'.
11th June - 'Gas and Electricity-Switch and Save'
18th  June - 'Free Internet Telephone Calls'
25th June - 'Getting Helpful Information about Services for over 55s'

All workshops are held at the Langley Centre on the days above from 2:00-3:30pm. Refreshments are provided.

Workshops are FREE. 
Only 6 places are available at each so be quick and reserve your place now - call 0117 951 5751 and let us know which ones you'd like to attend so that we can give you the individual tuition and support that you need.

Send us a postcard!

Keep your eyes peeled for these Connect <> Lockleaze postcards...

...they are a chance for you to say what you want us to organise for you. 

If you don't want to post them to us, just drop it in when you are in the Square - Cameron Centre, Boing! and North Bristol Advice Centre are all happy to receive them!

Connect <> Lockleaze to host a Benefit Change Session

Hundreds of thousands of households across the UK will be affected by the biggest shake-up of the welfare system for decades. 

The first of the changes to benefits started last month... 

• do you know what are the key changes, who will be affected and by how much? No!

• have you heard talk of something called the 'Bedroom Tax' but don't really know what it means? Yes!

Well, here's your chance to find out ... 

Connect <> Lockleaze and North Bristol Advice Centre are running a Benefit Changes Clinic at the Cameron Centre, Lockleaze from 9:30 - 11:30am on Tuesday 21st May 2013.

Many of these changes will affect you, particularly if you are reliant on housing benefit to pay your rent, so don't ignore them, you need to be prepared.

Join us for a cup of tea and cake and get free advice and information from our expert advisers.

To get an idea of the range of benefit changes take a look at The MoneySavingExpert infographic - it helps you find out if you'll be affected and what to do.

Book your Adult Learners' Week Taster NOW!

Next week is Adult Learner's Week, a national celebration of the benefits of lifelong learning.

It is the perfect opportunity to explore the many types of learning available to adults from all walks of life. 

So, in the spirit of encouraging everyone to try something new, Connect <> Lockleaze are working with the Learning Communities team to provide a number of short taster sessions.

So if you fancy learning:

• how to use a digital camera
• how to posters, leaflets etc
• how to make slideshows for presentations

Then you need to call Toby on 0117 903 0060 as soon as possible.

Ofcom Report: Older users surge to social networking

Ofcom’s latest Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report finds that older internet users are increasingly turning to social networking to keep in touch with their friends and family. 

Apparently 35% of 55 to 64 year-old internet users now have a social networking profile – up by half in just one year (24% in 2011).

72% of those with a social networking profile claim to visit social networking websites at least daily. Half claim to visit sites more than once a day, with just under one in ten visiting more than ten times a day.

So if you're over 55 and would like to be part of this growing trend why not ask Connect <> Lockleaze to run a 'Social Media' workshop for you?

Contact Edward Morgenstern on 0117 951 5751 to register your interest.

PS: Our workshops focus on one topic at a time, to give people a chance to develop new skills and discover new internet opportunities. All you do is pick and choose the ones that interest you!

Thanks to the Twitterati!

Just a quick note of thanks to Ruth Hennell for her support via Twitter...

Ruth Hennell ‏@TheRehn

4 May

Really pleased to read Connect <> Lockleaze project in my city has been nominated for the @Nominet National Internet Awards #NIA13

Spread the word about Lockleaze!

Join Connect <> Lockleaze at Boing! anytime from 1:30 to 3:30pm on Friday 10th May to share your memories of Lockleaze ... 
... bring photos, bring yourself and bring a smile - let's share our stories with the forthcoming exhibition at M Shed.

Over the past few months M Shed has been working with many people who live or work in Lockleaze. They have been taking pictures of the area, anything they thought was interesting, unique or special about Lockleaze. A selection of these images are going to feature in M Shed, and have also been printed up into ‘Greetings From’ postcards. You may have seen them at various locations - Cameron Centre, North Bristol Advice Centre etc.

They are nearly there now, but this is one last chance to hear from you if you have any objects that might fit into the display or old photographs, or would like to be recorded talking about the area. 

If you want to help but can't make it to Boing! on 10th May, please contact: Ben Meller at ben.meller@bristol.gov.uk or on 0117 9031565.

M Shed would like to thank all the people who have been involved so far, especially:
The children & staff of Lockleaze Primary School & Early Years Centre, Lockleaze Youth & Play Space, The Cameron Centre,  Boing!, Eastville & Horfield libraries, Cookies Café, The Silver Cyclists, Pete, Colin, Chris and Sue.

Now shortlisted for a Nominet Internet Award!

Hot on the heels of being shortlisted for an IMA Performance Award, we were delighted to receive the following message earlier today... 

"Thank you for your entry into the Nominet Internet Awards 2013.

The entries we received this year were all of an exceptionally high standard, which has made selecting our shortlist a very challenging task.

I am pleased to be able to confirm that your entry for “Connect <> Lockleaze” has been shortlisted. 

We would like to invite you to attend the Nominet Internet Awards evening on 4 July 2013 at the British Library in London. In the meantime please encourage your users and followers to show their support for you via:  http://www.miramar-clients.co.uk/internet-awards/."

Connect <> Lockleaze has been nominated in the Online skills and training Category and the entry that got us shortlisted reads as follows:

Outline the initiative that you are entering into the Nominet Internet Awards.

Question: What happens when an international corporation, an established university and neighbourhood organisations get together?
Answer: Connect <> Lockleaze - a new initiative where a local community is given the resources needed to combat digital exclusion at just the right time.

For many, having access to a computer and broadband is the norm however almost 1 in 3 homes in the UK do not have an internet connection meaning that these members of society are potentially disadvantaged. And in danger of being left further and further behind as more services become available online only.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) and University of West of England (UWE) have come together with Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust (LNT) and North Bristol Advice Centre (NBAC) to form Connect <> Lockleaze:
- Brand new computers, printers and free internet access supplied and installed by HP
- Technical support and maintenance from UWE volunteers.
- Local knowledge and access to the local community provided by NBAC and LNT.

These three working together have resulted in three state of the art IT venues that are supportive and unthreatening, where local people can come to learn what the digital world has to offer. Connect <> Lockleaze: giving people skills and tools to help themselves.

How is your initiative making a difference and how does it meet the criteria for the category you are entering?

Connect <> Lockleaze provides three venues where local residents can use computers and the internet free of charge for whatever they need: paying bills, researching best buy deals, applying for benefits, socialising…anything and everything.

Not everyone is familiar with computers so, through a mixture of formal courses, assisted self-help sessions and open access groups, Connect <> Lockleaze also gives North Bristol residents the opportunity to learn new skills:
- IT classes specifically designed for the over 55’s bring lonely people together socially, introduce them to computers and the benefits they have to offer – for example, contacting friends and relatives via email, skype etc
- Clinics on various topics to empower people. For example, Energy Clinics showing how to use the internet to find ways to save money on energy bills as well as grants, funding and benefits available to help alleviate fuel poverty and damp homes.
- One-to-One sessions at which student volunteers from UWE are available to answer specific questions or tasks.
- Open Sessions where anyone can come and use the centres for whatever they want. For example a weight loss group are using the computers to track their progress and the internet to research healthy menus and diet tips.

What did you set out to achieve with your initiative and how did you meet your targets?

The partnership agreed that in the first year, Connect <> Lockleaze would:
- set up three centres with IT infrastructure able to deliver IT related training
- hold 6 one off taster sessions
- run 6 IT related training courses
- engage 60 volunteers
- have 120 people participating in training and accessing services
- provide 300 hours of access to the community to use computers.

Delighted to report that the three centres are fully operational. In fact, more than 10 different courses have been held, 6 of which have been specifically IT related. In addition, more than the targeted 300 hours of access have been provided and Connect <> Lockleaze has helped over 150 people use the facilities so far.

Using student volunteers was not as straightforward as expected, holidays and exam periods caused disruptions to the flow of the student-assisted open sessions. The initiative now recruits volunteers from the local community who are able to commit time on a more regular basis, using student volunteers for specific one-off events such as promotional days and taster events. In addition, Connect <> Lockleaze now offers a few work placements to help people gain confidence and skills enabling them to get back into the workplace.

How do you plan to develop your initiative further?

The introduction of Universal Credit and other services with the requirement for online applications is a clear indication of how those not online will increasingly be left behind and left out. Aware that Lockleaze is the sixth most deprived ward in Bristol, Connect <> Lockleaze is naturally concerned that it will be their residents who suffer and, as such, are determined to reach out and ensure that any exclusion is minimised.

A greater level of community involvement will be encouraged with more work placements being offered and more volunteers drawn from the local area and/or people who have attended courses. In addition, Connect <> Lockleaze will establish a User Forum who will guide and inform future development in line with the needs and aspirations of the local community.

Finally, the initiative is about to embark on a commissioning process with Bristol City Council whereby they will pay Connect <> Lockleaze to design and deliver relevant courses to the local community. This will provide much needed sustainability and will allow facilities to be expanded and courses to be delivered to a wider area across North Bristol.

Why should your initiative win a Nominet Internet Award?

Connect <> Lockleaze demonstrates how much a community can benefit from successful coordination of physical resources and local knowledge, provided by commercial and voluntary sectors, respectively.

Local organisations are now able to link with a wider variety of companies than ever before and to develop an informal referral network which is proving able to provide a more holistic approach to problems faced by the area.

For example, recent ‘Money Matters’ courses provided by a national organisation encouraged local people to gain support in managing their finances. So popular were these courses that a local agency developed a series of half day workshops to deal with the specific needs of their clients, breaking down large issues into small bite sized chunks (budgeting, banking options, sensible borrowing, negotiating with creditors etc) to let people start to help themselves.

Many of the workshop attendees are long term unemployed so in partnership with yet another organisation ‘Employable Skills’ courses are now available. The next logical step has been to set up a work club where jobsites can be accessed prior to applications being made.

Like ripples on a pond, the effects of Connect <> Lockleaze are proving to be ever-expanding.

Basic DIY course

Learn some basic DIY techniques including; sawing, drilling, hammering, measuring and wood joinery. Learn how to put up wall fixtures including pictures, mirrors and curtain rails, making and putting up shelves, basic plumbing, preparing walls and wood for painting and electrical safety.

Day: Fridays

Date: 21st June to 26th July

Time: 1-3pm

Duration: 6 weeks

Where: Cameron Centre, Cameron Walk. BS7 9XB

Cost: Free

To book: Call or text Kate Hunter on 07546451888 or 9141129

Need help to take part?- Let me know!

FREE Dementia Awareness Training provided by The Alzheimer's Society

There are currently 800,000 people with dementia in the UK. The Alzheimer's Society staff and volunteers provide both local information and over 2,000 services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to people affected by dementia in their communities. 

Local services include day care and home care for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring. From Alzheimer's Café's and innovative 'singing for the brain' sessions to memory-book projects and group outings, their services provide both practical support and an essential point of human contact.

On Tuesday 30th April 30th from 2:00-4:00pm, The Alzheimer’s Society will be delivering an awareness session on the different types of dementia, not just Alzheimer’s. 

A key element of this session is working to ensure that all those who come into contact with people with dementia in the community have an understanding of the condition. People in all settings come into daily contact with people with dementia; it could be the person serving in a shop, a paramedic, police officer, bus driver or a call centre operative.

The session will also give you some top tips for communicating with people with dementia and will look at the difficulties people living with dementia face.

Date: Tuesday 30th April
Venue: Langley Centre, Gainsborough Square, Lockleaze, BS7 9XA
Time: 2:00-4:00pm
Cost: FREE

To book a place, contact Lizzie on 0117 951 5751 or lizzie@northbristoladvice.org.uk

Connect <> Lockleaze promote Welfare Reform Session

Come along to the Cameron Centre on 21st May 2013 between 9:00am and 11:00am to find out how changes to the welfare benefit system may affect you...

...main issues will be bedroom tax, DLA to PIP and changes to housing benefit.

As well as information stalls (including one promoting Connect <> Lockleaze and our latest training sessions), advisers from North Bristol Advice Centre will be on hand to answer your specific questions.