Projects of the Month

All the Work Packages listed below were 'Available' at the time the Volunteer Newsletter was put together. If, when contacting the charity, they tell you that a volunteer has started work on the Work Package, please ask the charity to contact info@iT4Communities.org.uk so that we can assist them in assigning the volunteer to the Work Package. Once the charity has assigned a volunteer, the Work Package state will be changed to “In progress”, and taken off the iT4C website.

Please go to www.iT4Communities.org.uk, then Log in and Search for volunteering opportunities - for these and more ‘Available Work Packages’. Alternatively simply go to each Work Package using the live links under the Work Package Name (you will need to login en route).

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Work Package Name:Web-based membership database remote
Skill Type: Programming
Region: Remote 
Postcode: WD6 
Region Detail: Elstree  

Description: This charity is a synagogue in Elstree. As well as religious aspects they organise social and leisure events for members and deal with welfare issues. The synagogue's existing membership database is becoming outdated and, in particular, is unable to manage modern extended family relationships. The synagogue has put together a specification for a new membership database that they would like to be developed as a web-enabled application to allow access from any location. The specification is detailed and includes the data model, screen layouts and report requirements. No decision has been made about the technologies to be used but possible choices are PHP/MySQL or ASP. The contact at the charity is IT literate and can provide the volunteer with all the information required.

Work Package Name: Website Design
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Postcode: NW5 
Region Detail: LB of Camden

Description: This London based charity, providing free, confidential and impartial advice for people who live, work or study in the London borough of Camden, needs assistance in putting together their internet and intranet sites. The internet site is to raise awareness and promote the organisation's services as well as to act as a tool for communicating with funders, clients and other agencies. They would also like to use the internet site for recruitment and job advertising. The site will need to incorporate forms for referrals and feedback. The intranet site will be for internal communication purposes for staff and volunteers. Types of information for the intranet site include: minutes, handbooks and news. They would also like the intranet site to have a notice board facility. Both sites need to be accessible and user friendly and should be easily updateable by members of staff. Some training will be required for 2 members of staff on how to do this (the volunteer will not be required to provide the training). This can be a remote/virtual project, after initial onsite meetings.

Work Package Name: Review of network
Skill Type: Technical Support
Region: South East
Postcode: AL1
Region Detail: St Albans

Description: This low cost/free counselling, support & advice organisation for the local community requires a Volunteer to ensure that their essential network runs smoothly. Their appointments system and accounts (Quickbooks) are computer based. To enable them to feel confident that these systems are robust they would like someone with network admin experience to help implement a back up system, advise about security and updates and help plan for their next funding. In the longer term they would like to offer remote access to certain systems for their trustees and would like a report about the best way to safely approach this.

Work Package Name: Support and mentoring during network setup
Skill Type: Network
Region: East Midlands
Postcode: NG2
Region Detail: Nottingham

Description: This community organisation works in a disadvantaged area of Nottingham to provide training in ICT and e-learning. They provide one-to-one training and small group sessions ensuring that all learners get adequate support. They have recently become a UK Online Centre and also work with a local college which helps to provide training courses. The organisation has won funding to purchase additional PCs that will enable them to set up a network. A member of the organisation's staff has undergone a Microsoft Network Administrator course but would appreciate some help from an expert in setting up the network. They plan to convert the existing peer-to-peer network to a server-based solution. They need to ensure that the system is secure and robust. They would like to be able to create user accounts for their learners, restrict their access to particular software and audit their usage. The volunteer should be prepared to advise and work alongside the member of staff so that she will be confident about maintaining the system in future.

Work Package Name: WPWebsite1509.1360
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Postcode: BR1
Region Detail: Bromley

Description: This charity works with young people aged 10 to 18 in the north Bromley area. They run a youth centre and also an advice and information centre on a drop-in basis. They go out onto the streets to meet with young people and encourage them to visit the centre. They run a regular music project enabling young people to become involved in deejaying and music production. The charity would like a volunteer to design and build a simple website for them. They have a logo that they'd like to include but no other fixed ideas about the design. They would also need advice on domain name registration and hosting. The charity wants to be able to maintain the site themselves but have only basic IT skills so a CMS may be appropriate. If possible the charity would like to involve the young people in the design of the site but only if the volunteer felt comfortable working with young people.

Work Package Name: Website updating via Mambo
Skill Type: Training
Region: London
Postcode: SW16
Region Detail: Lambeth

Description: This community group based in South London organise visits to cultural events for older people. Events include concerts, plays, visits to art galleries, stately homes, exhibitions, etc. Following visits there is often lively discussion on what has been seen or heard. A previous iT4Communities volunteer has designed and built a very successful website for the group. Due to other commitments she now needs to hand over maintenance of the site to the charity but they don't have the necessary skills. The charity are looking for a new volunteer who can help them climb the learning curve to being able to do their own updates. The site has been implemented using Mambo so this is an opportunity for a volunteer who has previous experience of, or is keen to learn, this technology. The previous volunteer will be happy to provide any necessary information. Training is required for only one person at the charity who will then take on responsibility for updates which are done every couple of months.

Work Package Name: Quick Project - Review of Access db
Skill Type: Database
Region: North East
Postcode: NE99
Region Detail: Newcastle upon Tyne

Description: Student volunteers built a fundraising database for this charity and delivered a final version that is very nearly complete but requires an expert to review it and put in the few final additions needed. The charity is very happy to work remotely and can provide a detailed specification of their requirements. This database is vital to the service that the charity provides and their current database is only just functioning. The charity works to improve the health of children and young people in the North East.

Work Package Name: Audit of PCs, skills and support of national charity
Skill Type: Audit/strategy
Region:
Postcode: BD20
Region Detail: Keighley

Description: With 10 sites across the UK, this International Charity provides a home & workshops to people with learning disabilities. Their technology (which drives their accounts, their funding records and the majority of their communications) has grown organically and now needs to be streamlined. A volunteer IT consultant has completed a recommendations report that sets in place the Charity's strategic needs. They now need someone to take on the next step which is to complete a detailed audit of the technical, skills & technical support infrastructure of each of the sites. This can be largely be managed and completed remotely but there is also a budget to allow for one or more volunteers to visit the sites. This work will be invaluable to help this Charity plan for their future technical needs and to assist with the continued good work of this charity.

Work Package Name: Simple finance package required
Skill Type: Advice
Region: Scotland
Postcode: DD10
Region Detail: Montrose

Description: This organisation is a very successful youth group in Brechin, Angus. They operate a drop-in centre mainly catering to 12 to 16 year olds. Facilities available to the young people include pool tables, PCs with Internet access and a snack bar. The group are currently managing their finances using a database package which is too sophisticated for their needs and difficult for them to understand. They would like to move to a simpler solution that more of their staff could understand and operate. Their finances are not complicated. Income is from membership fees, sales in the snack bar and any grant funding they are able to win. They are not dealing with large amounts of money. They would like a volunteer to look at their requirements and hopefully identify a simple off-the-shelf package that they could use. Alternatively could they use MS Excel with some simple instructions? This is a fairly simple request that could perhaps be answered without a face-to-face meeting.

Work Package Name: Refurbish donated PCs
Skill Type: Technical Support
Region: East of England
Postcode: AL7
Region Detail: Welwyn Garden City   

Description: This charity working in Welwyn Garden City provides donated furniture to those who are most in need. They also get donated old PCs which they would like to be able to give to people who could make good use of them. At the moment 7 Pentium II PCs are waiting to have the data cleared. The charity is looking for a volunteer who can show the existing volunteers how this can be done and make the PCs useful to donate. Please note: charities hours are Mon & Wed 9.30-3.30 and Tues & Thurs 12.30-3.30.

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Please go to www.iT4Communities.org.uk, then Log in and Search for volunteering opportunities - for these and more ‘Available Work Packages’. Alternatively simply go to each Work Package using the live links under the Work Package Name (you will need to login en route).