The Project
Spring 2008 Newsletter
Project newsThis section contains all the current news relating to the U Can Do I.T project. In this section you will find news relating to the charity as a whole including information about our students and tutors as well as information about current marketing campaigns and funding news. All past newsletters are archived and can be accessed via the 'Newsletters' option.
To encourage discussion concerning the charity there is also a message board where anyone can leave a message or reply to a question regarding the charity.
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Newsletters
House of Lords Debate – Computers for Disabled People
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin answered a short debate in the House of Lords introduced by Viscount Falkland. The motion asked the Government whether they would provide computers and computer training for disabled people in their own homes. In answering the debate the Baroness said “I particularly welcome the opportunity the Noble Viscount Lord Falkland has presented to us to highlight the importance of computer training for disabled people in their own homes and I hope I will be able to set out the steps we have taken to provide such training and what our programmes will deliver going forward”.
Other peers speaking in the debate were Lord Giddens, Lord Low of Dalston, Lord Addington and Lord Skelmersdale.
This was an achievement for U Can Do I.T. but as yet no firm measures have been pronounced which will provide funding for computer training for disabled people at home. We must await events.
Stephen Timms MP
Stephen Timms MP Minister of State Work and Pensions attended a tutorial given by his constituent Amjad Rehman. Mr Timms is very interested in the work of U Can Do I.T. and has provisionally agreed to host an event for the charity in May or June subject to a suitable date becoming available. The Chairman, Anthony Wigram, had a good meeting with Mr Timms and had an opportunity to explain the importance of the work we are doing and how it could lead on to jobs for disabled people working from home.
Tutor Recruitment
We have recently extended our geographical areas to include Hampshire, Southend on Sea, Birmingham, Luton and Devon. Training in these areas is about to commence with the exception of Luton where we are in the process of recruiting potential students and raising funds to cover the cost of training.
We now have a total of 73 tutors 19% of which are themselves disabled.
Spring Statistics
509 application forms requested, 231 application forms returned, applicants ready for assessment 170, students started training 120, students completed their training 84. Total number of Assessments and tutorials reached 1418
In March 2008 U Can Do I.T. achieved its 25,000 tutorial.
ITQ Centre Registration
We have recently become an ITQ accredited centre with the British Computer Society and will soon be able to offer this qualification to students.
We have recently become an ITQ accredited centre with the British Computer Society and will soon be able to offer this qualification to students.
ITQ is the new NVQ for IT Users. As a simple solution to raising the IT user skills of the workforce, it delivers the IT skills and learning that employers most need. It is recognised by employers as a critical requirement for anyone using technology at work.
British Computer Society - Award
U Can Do I.T. was presented with an award from the British Computer Society for our work in trying to ensure all disabled people have the same access to qualifications as able bodied people, by re-designing their EqualSkills qualification ensuring that Blind and Visually Impaired students can now gain the qualification without Sighted Support.
UKOnline
A meeting was held with Clair Bradley - the UK Online Regional Manager for London, which centred mainly on the targets we have set out to achieve to support the funding U Can Do I.T. have received from UK Online.
Thankfully we are spot on target for MyGuide registrations. MyGuide is UK Online's product for accessing the web and managing emails and is designed for 'hard to reach' first timers and people with disability and impairment.
Going through some of the figures, it was pleasing to see that 53% of our graduate students in the last six months had bought goods and services online, with Ocado - the online food retailer - in top spot!
Westminster City Council
Another meeting was held again regarding progress with Margaret Mambugo from Westminster City Council, where there was some lively debate over what we should be monitoring. This is our first piece of Commissioned work from any Local Authority, and is going well.
Funding
We received some really useful financial support from the Rooney Foundation for our relatively new operations in Kent, and we are in the process of setting up a deal with Hyde Housing for the referrals.
Funding was also received from the Duke of Westminster's Foundation for our work - this time in Merseyside.
Possibly the most interesting, in terms of financial support, was received from the Westminster Primary Care Trust, and this in spite of the round being heavily oversubscribed. However this is a good step forward in, what is for us, a new area.
