ruralnet|uk news

Capacity Building in Progress!

Networks Online relaunches with a new interface.

Networks Online, the collaborative ICT network provided by ruralnet|uk has been relaunched. A capacity building grant from the Active Communities Directorate has enabled ruralnet|uk to radically overhaul its online services.

This has allowed ruralnet|uk to make its service simpler, easier to access and more effective. This will benefit over 4,000 Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) customers by simplifying access to the capacity building resources contained within the network.

ruralnet|uk’s Chief Executive blogs his way from John o’ Groats to Land’s End to prime participation fund

ruralnet|uk’s Chief Executive, Simon Berry, free-wheeled down the hill to John o’ Groats at around 3pm on 7 June with a huge sense of relief and respect for those who had done the Land’s End to John o’ Groats trip before him.

Simon undertook the 10-day challenge, covering 1,069 miles, to launch ruralnet|uk’s Participation Fund which will be used to enable rural volunteers working for their community to access ruralnet|uk’s online services and attend the annual conference.

Experts Online is improved with new Financial Services & Childcare Forums

ruralnet|uk is pleased to announce that Anisa Laher and John Ditchfield will facilitate new Childcare and Financial Services Forums as part of the rejuvenated Experts Online.

Anisa has worked in regeneration in Leicestershire and London for many years, setting up and managing childcare facilities in schools, UK online centres and halls. Anisa will be assisted by Patrick Shore from ruralnet|uk, who has experience of supporting Childcare needs in a wide range of projects.

John Ditchfield, the Financial Services expert is an Independent Financial Advisor specialising in ethical investments. John, whose background is in developing credit unions and managing regeneration projects, works for Barchester Green Investment and is a member of Community Action Network (CAN) and the Personal Finance Society.

Experts Online launches Financial Services forum

The popular online advice service, Experts Online, run by ruralnet|uk is broadening its expertise further with the addition of a new Financial Services forum. The resident expert of the new forum will be John Ditchfield, an Independent Financial Advisor specialising in ethical investments. John, who's background is in developing credit unions and managing regeneration projects, works for Barchester Green Investment and is a member of Community Action Network (CAN) and the Personal Finance Society.

Experts Online takes off

The number of questions asked of the online panel of experts run by ruralnet|uk rose 63% between the last quarter of 2004 and the first quarter of 2005. The top four topic areas were ICT, Legal Issues, Funding Strategies and Community Engagement.

"We launched Experts Online in October 2002 but it's one of those services that sounds too good to be true. They are real experts and you do get a quick answer to your question!" said David Ellis, the manager of Experts Online.

Experts Online launches Community Engagement 'guest' forum

This month, ruralnet|uk celebrates its latest online partnership, with the Regenerate Trust, by adding Community Engagement to the range of topics covered by its acclaimed panel of Experts Online.

Action to Regenerate Community Trust, known as RE:generate, joined ruralnet|uk in the Networks Online partnership at the beginning of the year. Networks Online is a growing group of community and voluntary networks who share online services, content and support, made affordable and sustainable through collaborative and social enterprise approaches.

Stephen Kearney, the Trust's CEO, will act as guest expert in the new forum, alongside seasoned Experts Online panellists Elizabeth Gray-King of the social enterprise consultancy Gray-King and Gray (GKG) Ltd, and Patrick Shore, of ruralnet|uk.

Great Minds Think Alike: Networks Online responds to HSC announcement

Rural regeneration charity ruralnet|uk, which runs the NetWorks Online system for the Voluntary Sector and SMEs, welcomed Bill Callaghan's announcement last week that the HSC would be striving to improve access to advice and information on Health & Safety matters for small organisations. In particular, Internet services will be improved by, for example, introducing advice forums in the form of 'online communities' dealing with specific issues.

Chief Executive Simon Berry said that small organisations, particularly voluntary and charitable groups, often struggle to find affordable and relevant information, even amongst the plethora available on the internet - which can lead to time consuming information overload.

Experts Online 'guest' forum launched in line with new DDA regulations

The new Disability and Discrimination Act (DDA) guidelines will be in effect from 1st October 2004, which means that organisations must make reasonable arrangements to serve disabled customers.

Many people and organisations may find that they do not know exactly what the new rules mean or whether they comply. ruralnet|uk are adding to their acclaimed Experts Online service, and will launch their first 'guest' Experts Online forum dedicated to a single topic today.

ruralnet|uk ready to play a part in Rural Strategy 2004

The rural regeneration charity, ruralnet|uk looks forward to playing its part in the implementation of the new agenda for the delivery of rural services presented to Parliament today by Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

'We are keen to broaden the high-value support we provide to rural communities by working within the new delivery framework,' said Simon Berry, ruralnet|uk's chief executive.

'In line with the Rural Strategy, we look forward to working closely with the regions, as we already do with Farming and Food West Midlands and the West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum. We particularly welcome proposals to involve the voluntary and community sector more, in both consultation and in delivery of services.

'In addition, we believe that our forthcoming conference, ruralnet|2004, will offer the opportunity for participants to explore further many of the issues discussed in the strategy.'

Internet achievement award for ruralnet|uk online expert

Mark Harrison, the Chairman of the community broadband initiative, 3-C, and broadband expert for ruralnet|uk's Experts Online panel has been recognised for his work as the largest not-for-profit broadband supplier in West Yorkshire. The 'Internet Achievement Award' was presented to Mark at the Digital Yorkshire Internet Awards ceremony held at Cutlers Hall, Sheffield, at the end of April, to highlight his individual impact in the internet and digital world.

Mark said, "Although it was an individual award, it was a community effort and is reflective of the work being done up and down the country literally by hundreds of rural communities who are coming to the CBN (Community Broadband Network) for support".