ruralnet|uk projects

Rural Community Carbon Network (RCCN)

Update: RCCN now has its own website here

The Rural Community Carbon Network : a collective response to climate change - call for support (Rural Focus Jan/Feb07)

In the autumn of 2006 ruralnet|uk teamed up with the Carnegie Rural Community Development Programme to seek to raise awareness and promote collective approaches to reducing energy use and increasing energy production from renewable sources, or in shorthand, reducing the carbon footprint of communities.

We have invested in the design of a national programme to support communities who are working collectively to reduce their carbon footprint. We want to support communities on the leading edge who know a lot more about the practicalities than we do and we also want to support communities who want to do the same. We also want to raise awareness amongst others who haven't even thought about this approach before.

Take a look at some of the shared bookmarks we are currently collecting here. These bookmarks relate to current news or information about community energy projects.

The on-going mapping exercise can be seen here.

Further details are contained in these documents: Original A4 Summary - October 2006 (Format: PDF, Size: 122K)

Executive Summary - Version 4.4 - February 2007 (Format: PDF, Size: 184K)

Proposal - version 5.4D -  May 2007 (Format: PDF, Size:230K)

GKG Ltd Extranet

2007 - ongoing

Gray-King & Gray Ltd (GKG) is a social enterprise conducting organisational development support, tools development and research for the public, voluntary and social enterprise sector.

They support the GKG Collective, a formal group of consultants working in the same field and they also work with ‘Associates’.

The GKG Ltd Company Extranet enables online collaboration, project amangement and document sharing at the Company, Collective and Associates level.

All users get access to Experts Online, GRANTnet and xPRESS Digest.

www.gkgltd.co.uk

net:gain Extranet

2007 - ongoing

The net:gain extranet works at two levels. It supports the

UK

online centres delivering the programme and the delegates that join net:gain.

All users have access to GRANTnet, Experts Online and xPRESS Digest. In addition, the extranet provides easy access for centres to the resources they need to run the programme including toolkits, template documents, procedures and net:gain materials.

The extranet also supports delegates during the development of their ICT Strategy with access to online expertise.

www.net-gain.org.uk

Improving Reach

2007 - ongoing

This Capacitybuilders funded project provides new and existing online services to isolated rural voluntary and community groups. Through piloting and evaluation amongst community groups in Teesdale, online services will be tailored to meet the needs of rural groups before being made available to support capacity building across rural England.

ruralnet|2007 annual conference

2007 - ongoing

Theme: Rural Communities - Whose Job Is It Anyway?

Date: 10th-11th October 2007

Venue: To Be Confirmed

Details: The seventh annual ruralnet|uk conference. A two-day event once again consisting of workshops, plenary sessions, networking, and debate, over key issues affecting our rural communities. This year we consider who should take responsibility for “doing” rather than “planning to do” in rural areas, with particular emphasis on carbon emission reduction and collective action. Keynote speaker (provisional): David Miliband, Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Affairs Keynote speaker (provisional): Ed Miliband, Cabinet Office minister for the Third Sector For details as they unfold please visit www.ruralnetuk.org/conference

Capacitybuilders Roadmap Consultation Blog

2006 - ongoing

Consultation to design and setup a blog for Capacitybuilders to support their consultation on their strategic roadmap - destination 2014 (see www.destination2014.org.uk). RNUK Ltd also trained staff in its maintenance and provided support during the consultation process. The blog was launched in Dec 2006.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) 'Weblog' Support

2006

Provided one months telephone technical support on behalf of Policy Unplugged for a prototype 'weblog' site for PriceWaterhouseCoopers (See here for more information about 'weblogs').

Funding Advice Workers Network (FAWN)

2006

Provision of online forums enabled funding advice workers to share information and to have access to specialist advice on a wide range of Voluntary and Community Sector topics.  The project was funded by the Finance Hub for the Voluntary Sector.

ICT and Collaborative Working (ICT Hub & CWU)

2006 - ongoing

The production of two publications for the national ICT Hub and NCVO’s Collaborative Working Unit on ICT and collaborative working in the voluntary and community sector. Their purpose is to increase awareness of the opportunities offered through collaboration and ICT, to inspire with case studies illustrating what other organisations are doing, and increase confidence through sharing these examples and the learning which came from them in the voluntary and community sector.

The publications will link to the online support materials being produced as part of ruralnet|uk’s I-See-T - see www.i-see-t.org.uk

These publications bring together the aims of the ICT Hub and NCVO's Collaborative Working Unit (CWU) to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Voluntary and Community Sector through good use of ICT and collaborative working respectively.

Plunkett/SEEDA database

2006

Database development to enable the Plunkett Foundation to supply a database of contacts in the South East of England to SEEDA, for inclusion on their website.

Writing of database for collection of data and then development of web interface for publishing to the web.

Interface & Delivery Options Upgrade to Networks Online

2006

Short-term funding (March-June 2006) to improve the browser interface for users of extranets that form part of Networks Online (NOL) and increase the options that users have for accessing NOL Services. Funded under the Active Community Unit’s’ National Infrastructure Modernisation Fund.  Click here for more information about the Networks Online service.

Yorkshire and Humber Rural Delivery Framework Consultation

2006
ruralnet|uk designed the online consultation process of the Yorkshire and Humber Rural Delivery Framework through innovative use of weblogs.

CAF Consultants - Active Brokerage System (CAFnet)

2006 - ongoing

The provision of an online system to support the Charity Aid Foundation’s network of consultants. The system uses the Active Brokerage methods developed under the DirectSupport programme (see http://www.directsupport.org.uk) to enable CAF to advertise consultancy opportunities through an online forum and for available consultants to be selected for each assignment. The online network also enables consultants to submit progress reports and to share information across the consultants’ network.

East Midlands Rural Delivery Framework Consultation

2006
ruralnet|uk has designed the online consultation process of the East Midlands Rural Delivery Framework through innovative use of weblogs.
Link: www.ruralnet.typepad.com/emrdf/

ruralnet|2006 - the annual conference

Theme: 'Exploiting Your Rural Capital - New Perspectives on Rural Assets' with 'Building Capitals for Communities' Supplement
Date: 11th-12th October 2006
Location: Newark, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands

Details: The sixth annual ruralnet|uk conference. The two-day event once again consisted of workshops, plenary sessions, networking, and debate, over the key issues affecting our rural communities.
Keynote speaker: Simon Hebditch, CEO, Capacitybuilders and Jogn Grimshaw, CEO, Sustrans
For details please see www.ruralnetuk.org/conference