Opportunities of the Month

Opportunities are listed on this page because we've recently talked with the charity and they've told us that they are desperate for a volunteer to help them. If you contact the charity and they tell you that someone else has recently started work on the opportunity please ask them to contact info@it4communities.org.uk so that we can assist them in assigning that volunteer to the opportunity. Once a volunteer has been assigned the opportunity will be automatically removed from the iT4C website.

For these and more volunteer opportunities sign-in to your account and "Search for Opportunities". Alternatively click on the link on the opportunity name below to go directly to the opportunity you're interested in.

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Opportunity Name: Upgrade Access database
Skill Type: Database
Region: London
Locality: Muswell Hill
Postcode: N10
Virtual: No

Description: A charity that provides quality volunteering opportunities on London currently has an old Access 97 database which they would like to upgrade to Access 2000 or XP and to add more functionality. The charity would like to have more accessibility to the database so that more reports can be taken from the system and for the database to be loaded onto a server so that they can create various user level accounts.

Opportunity Name: Integrate open source contact system with Outlook
Skill Type: Technical Support
Region: Yorkshire & Humberside
Locality: Rotherham
Postcode: S60
Virtual: Yes

Description: This charity is an infrastructure organisation supporting voluntary and community organisations in Rotherham. They provide various services including payroll, facilitating training and placing volunteers. They also support the creation of voluntary sector networks within the region and contribute to policy making through campaigning and research.
The charity has recently started using an open source web-based contact management system (CiviCRM) as its central contact database. They would now like to integrate this system with Outlook 2003 which is runs from their internal server and accesses Exchange 2003. They have done some research that indicates that this is possible but they do not have the necessary skills in-house.
CiviCRM is written in PHP with a MySQL background so they're looking for a volunteer with those skills and an understanding of Exchange Server. They would like a volunteer who is prepared to do further research, help them choose the right integration method for their needs and then implement it.
While a local volunteer would be ideal they're happy to work remotely to get someone with the skills they need.

Opportunity Name: On-line searchable database - London E10
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Locality: Waltham Forest
Postcode: E10
Virtual: No

Description: This charity based in Waltham Forest puts volunteers in touch with organisations that have volunteering opportunities. They interview potential volunteers and help them find the most appropriate role for their skills and interests. They also advise organisations on standards and best practice. The charity have recently rebuilt their website and are now looking to add a searchable database of volunteering opportunities to the site. This area would be available only to their registered volunteers and would allow volunteers to search for opportunities based on keyword, region, etc. The charity would like a volunteer to help them develop this part of the site. The charity's existing site designer would like to work closely with the volunteer so that he can understand how to maintain the site in future. He has done some reading about PHP and MySQL but is open to suggestions about the technology to be used. He would also appreciate guidance from the volunteer on the overall site design.

Opportunity Name: Development of innovative website
Skill Type: Website
Region: South East
Locality: Henley-on-Thames
Postcode: RG9
Virtual: No

Description: This charity provides long-term care and support to people with an acquired brain injury in the Thames Valley area. They run a rehabilitation and resource centre where people can undertake cognitive rehabilitation programmes. They also provide training, information and respite for families and carers of patients. They have an education programme that is particularly targeted at young people for whom head and brain injury is the major cause of death or disability. They do outreach work and are involved in a major programme to monitor the cognitive response of players of contact sports such as rugby. The charity has identified an innovative web based fundraising project that they would like a volunteer to develop for them. They envisage a website with a short Flash and video introduction leading to access to interactive forms. The forms would allow users to submit details which they would pay for using Paypal or a similar payment system. Submitting the form could result in an e-mail message being sent; the recipient of the message would be invited to visit the website. The charity has a vision of what they want to achieve but would require advice from the volunteer on how it can be achieved and whether some of their ideas are sensible. The site can be developed in any appropriate technology and will be separate from their main site.

Opportunity Name: Accessible website
Skill Type: Website
Region: Yorkshire & Humberside
Locality: Bradford
Postcode: BD3
Virtual: No

Description: This charity works with disabled people throughout the Bradford people. They deal with all sorts of disabilities - mental, physical, learning difficulties, etc. - and people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and religions. They seek to empower disabled people to enable them to lead their chosen lifestyle. They operate a number of projects such as welfare and advice, outreach, deaf empowerment, training and helping people into employment. The charity is looking for a volunteer to help them build their website. They currently have a holding page in place for the site. They have put together the content for the site and have some ideas about the design but would welcome ideas from an experienced volunteer. It is very important that the site be accessible for everyone. Because of their deaf empowerment project the charity would like to include BSL (British Sign Language) on the contact details page. The charity have the facilities to produce the necessary video clips but the volunteer would need to include these in the site and show the charity how to do updates in future. The charity would like most of the site to be managed through a CMS but think that some pages will need to be outside of that. They are confident that they'll be able to update these pages themselves in future.

Opportunity Name: Three year strategy
Skill Type: Strategy
Region: Yorkshire & Humberside
Locality: Bradford
Postcode: BD3
Virtual: No

Description: This charity works with disabled people throughout the Bradford area. They deal with all sorts of disabilities - mental, physical, learning difficulties, etc. - and people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and religions. They seek to empower disabled people to enable them to lead their chosen lifestyle. They operate a number of projects such as welfare and advice, outreach, deaf empowerment, training and helping people into employment. The charity is looking for an experienced volunteer to help them develop an IT strategy in line with their existing business plan. The charity has about 20 PCs running MS software and use MS Exchange Server. They would like to consider whether they are meeting the needs of their staff and external organisations that they come into contact with. They would like to put in place a plan for the next three years. In particular they are considering moving away from Exchange Server and would like to consider the alternatives available and the costs involved.

Opportunity Name: Smarter remote working
Skill Type: Advice
Region: East of England
Locality: Chelmsford
Postcode: CM2
Virtual: No

Description: This charity provides support to homeless people in Chelmsford and central Essex. They operate a night shelter providing short-term support. They also have premises where people can live independently for a while before moving into longer-term facilities. They plan to open a day care facility in the near future to complement their night time services. Many of their staff work regularly from home using their personal Internet connections from a variety of providers.They would appreciate some independent advice on how best to manage this remote working. Are there tools available which would help them work smarter and more efficiently?

Opportunity Name: System health check and help with procedures
Skill Type: Consultancy
Region: West Midlands
Locality: Burton on Trent
Postcode: DE14
Virtual: No

Description: This charity based in Burton on Trent operates a community centre promoting social and economic activity in a deprived area. Originally simply a community hall they now have additional facilities including a SureStart creche and a small IT suite. The equipment in the IT suite and their office has been set up by a number of volunteers. Their network was recently re-configured to introduce a server although this work was only half completed. They now need a volunteer who can advise them/help them with finishing the server set-up or going back to the peer to peer network. They also need assistance with a XP software upgrade (all purchased but installation needed). The aim is to: 1) ensure that the network is secure and that users in the IT suite cannot access the office PCs. 2) set up a backup procedure and automatically run anti-virus software

Opportunity Name: CMS website & design - London/Bath/anywhere...
Skill Type: Website
Region: South West
Locality: BATH
Postcode: BA2
Virtual: Yes

Description: This is a small charity that runs a network of self-help groups throughout the UK to help people with phobia or obsessive compulsive disorder. Each group meets weekly and is facilitated by one or more volunteers. The groups follow a self-help method that is designed to cure problems rather than just provide support. The charity has a small website which desperately needs a revamp as they try to increase their membership and to help with their marketing. Most importantly the website must be based on a CMS (content management system) so that they can update it themselves on a regular basis. They would like a new design for the site and would welcome any suggestions from a volunteer. They do have an existing logo but are not tied in to any particular branding or colour scheme. Eventually they would like the site to include features such as online shopping and a chatroom, but initially they would like basic static pages plus the ability to download membership forms. The contact at the charity is based in Bath but travels to London regularly so face-to-face meetings in either location would be a possibility. However, this project could easily be implemented remotely. This is an opportunity for a volunteer who has experience of implementing CMS websites and who is keen to try out some design ideas.

Opportunity Name: Mambo built website - advice and training
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Locality: Merton
Postcode: CR4
Virtual: No

Description: Do you understand Mambo, could you show a trustee and one or two members of staff of a community project how to use it? This community development trust works with the communities of East Merton, running lunch clubs for older people, projects for young Mums and other environmentally aware programmes (for example) is looking for a Mambo volunteer. They are very aware that their current website (built by volunteers from the US) does not accurately reflect their work as the content is not up to date. This would suit a volunteer who has worked with Mambo (or similar CMS) and is happy to train others. Any help with this as part of their Communications Strategy would be much appreciated.

Opportunity Name: Regular sounding-board for website developer
Skill Type: Mentoring
Region: London
Locality: Southwark
Postcode: SE1
Virtual: No

Description: This charity works UK-wide to provide information, carry out research, campaign and improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems. Communication is a major part of their role and they run two comprehensive websites. They have one full-time Web Producer who is responsible for the technical aspects of the two sites, although many staff contribute content through the CMS systems. The Web Producer would like to make contact with a volunteer who they could bounce ideas off, discuss technical solutions with, get a second opinion from, etc. They don't feel that a huge time commitment would be required; it would be nice to have the occasional face-to-face meeting but regular phone calls would be sufficient. This is not a development role, just advice and information. The websites are built using a .NET-based CMS on MS SQL Server. In future, they may add new features such as e-commerce modules and podcasting to the site, but much of Web Producer's work is regular maintenance. Accessibility is very important to this charity so it would be good if the volunteer had experience of that as well as a strong interest in web technologies.

Opportunity Name: Interactive website features
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Locality: Brent
Postcode: NW10
Virtual: No

Description: This charity provides services for homeless people in the Brent area. Services include housing advice, counselling, advice on health issues and drop in facilities. They have a very successful website which was developed by a previous iT4C volunteer. However, they are now looking to add more interactive features to the site to reflect the positive changes that are taking place in the organisation. They are currently re-branding and the design of the website should take into account their new look. They are looking for a volunteer who can work with the IT manager to identify features such as forums, blogs, etc. which could be added to the site. They want the best possible site and if necessary they are happy to change the technology on which the site is based. This is an opportunity for a volunteer to help a charity make good use of the latest in web technologies.

Opportunity Name: Filemaker Pro advice and fixes
Skill Type: Database
Region: London
Locality: Brent
Postcode: W9
Virtual: No

Description: This charity is a performing arts organisation aimed at young people from 6 to 26. They operate workshops and classes in dance, drama and music and also do outreach work in local schools and work with young people with learning difficulties. They also hire out their facilities to the public and to other charitable organisations. The charity has two databases using Filemaker Pro 6. They are experiencing problems with both of them and would like a volunteer to give some expert advice. The major problems are with the room booking database - it is allowing rooms to be double-booked resulting in confusion and annoyance. There are also problems associated with moving from week to week. The other database, used by the entire team for contact management, has started losing data for no obvious reason. The charity is well organised and they have put together a specification for the work required including some changes to the reports produced by both databases.

Opportunity Name: System's Analyst required for Essex Hospice
Skill Type: Strategy
Region: London
Locality: Romford
Postcode: RM4
Virtual: No

Description: This Hospice is an End of Life/Palliative care provider, with services ranging from patient wards, a day hospice, hospice at home, community teams and an education centre. They have been running for over 20 years and their IT systems have grown in a piecemeal fashion with the end result being that the Accounts (Money Manager) HR database and the donor database (DonorFlex) and the patient records (Power Care) are not able to share data or at least currently don't. The technical infrastructure of the hospice (100+ PCs) is well managed by an IT support company and is stable and reliable but the Hospice would like to review the software that they use. They would like to work with an experienced system's analyst, preferably with experience in working in a healthcare environment who can help them ensure they have software that is fit for purpose now and help plan for the future so that they are able to manage their funds as efficiently as possible. This hospice works hard to ensure they have the funding they require to provide this invaluable service, your volunteer work would make a valuable contribution to ensuring their limited but vital IT funds are well spent.

Opportunity Name: Choose and install a CMS system
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Locality: Lambeth
Postcode: SE1
Virtual: Yes

Description: This social enterprise promotes healthy and carbon-friendly work and leisure walking. It has an existing innovative website currently maintained by 2 very busy technical people. They need a database driven content management system which will store information submitted from online forms, and enable several non-technical users in different locations to maintain content and add new pages, and preferably have the flexibility to be upgraded in the future to cater for secure user registration. They would prefer an open source solution but have a small budget, if required. Some training on using the CMS will be needed. They have no office, and expect the work to be done remotely, however they would prefer to meet you. The website uses PHP and offers MySQL database facilities.

Opportunity Name: Small start-up website for social enterprise
Skill Type: Website
Region: South East
Locality: Slough
Postcode: SL2
Virtual: No

Description: This social enterprise is working towards empowering families to raise healthy happy children. They offer services either to groups or one-to-one to teach back-to-basics skills to parents of babies and young children. These skills include baby massage, baby yoga and general parenting skills. The enterprise is just starting out and has identified the need for a website to advertise their services. They are looking for a volunteer to design and implement a small site - about six pages. The target audience for the site will be parents and soon-to-be parents and they want something which will be attractive to them. They have already registered a domain name but will need advice on hosting and on how to keep the site updated themselves.

Opportunity Name: How to choose accounting package [This is a short task]
Skill Type: Advice
Region: South East
Locality: Slough
Postcode: SL2
Virtual: No

Description: This social enterprise is working towards empowering families to raise healthy happy children. They offer services either to groups or one-to-one to teach back-to-basics skills to parents of babies and young children. These skills include baby massage, baby yoga and general parenting skills. The enterprise is just starting out and they are looking for some advice on the best way to manage their accounts. They'd like to purchase accounting software suitable for a small business and that will be flexible enough to support them as they grow. Can you advise on the best package for this business start-up?

Opportunity Name: Website takeover and improvements
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Locality: South Croydon
Postcode: CR2
Virtual: No

Description: This small young Croydon area charity uses social housing and related services, including housing management training and housing and career advice, to help the socially excluded in Africa build a positive self image and gain employment. The charity want to be able to update the content on their website, which was built for them, add new pages for events and to accept donations online. They need, too, to be able to send bulk emails, for example, newsletters, and emails to their board and volunteers. It's not clear where their current website is hosted. You'll need to: get the FTP access codes from the existing design company, amicably terminate the relationship with the existing design company, possibly guide them on arranging hosting and do the transfer the website, define the content of the new pages in detail, build the new pages, choose and install an easy to use CMS, and train the charity to update the website.

Opportunity Name: Design advice on preparation of newsletters and brochures [This is a short task]
Skill Type: Creative Design
Region: London
Locality: South Croydon
Postcode: CR2
Virtual: No

Description: This small young Croydon area charity uses social housing and related services, including housing management training and housing and career advice, to help the socially excluded in Africa build a positive self image and gain employment. The charity want to raise awareness of the services they provide both in the UK and in Africa, as well as attracting donations towards their work. They would like your help in laying out the design of their newsletter, training brochure, flyer, and annual report in order to improve the way they market themselves.

Opportunity Name: Website Improvements
Skill Type: Website
Region: London
Locality: London
Postcode: N7
Virtual: No

Description: This north London charity provides, people with a history of mental health problems, help to develop their skills. The charity's offices are accessible. Their current website is out of date, not accessible, needs more content, and desperately needs a makeover. They want more project pages, a contact form, as well as an online application form. They want to be able to maintain the site themselves, after you've gone, so they need an easy to use CMS, and they have a member who would like to work together with you to learn about updating the website. You'll need to define the new pages in more detail, implement a simple CMS, build the new pages, and train them to update the website.

Opportunity Name: Website Improvements
Skill Type: Website
Region: South East
Locality: Brighton
Postcode: BN3
Virtual: Yes

Description: This south-coast charity provides a mediation service for dealing with neighbourhood conflict. Their website is out of date, needs a more modern look, and needs to incorporate their new logo. They would like to put all their leaflets onto the site, and to have an online referral form and an online contact form. Their offices are partially accessible. They would prefer not to have a virtual volunteer. They want to be able to maintain the site themselves after you've gone, so they need an easy to use CMS. You'll need to define the new pages in more detail, implement a simple CMS, build the new pages, and train them to update the website.

Opportunity Name: WordPress guru required
Skill Type: Website
Region: South East
Locality: Crawley
Postcode: RH10
Virtual: Yes

Description: This purely voluntary group provides a forum for people of all ages who have an intolerance to Gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, oats and rye. They are a young organisation (formed January 2007) and very active with around 40 members and some key achievements in their work with supermarkets already under their belt. They are very keen to harness the potential of the Internet to share and provide information and to network with each other and other similar organisations across the world. They have signed up for a free blog with WordPress but now need advice about how to proceed. They are looking for a volunteer with WordPress experience to show them how to configure and manage the blog. The following tasks are involved: 1. Configure the blog; 2. Help them choose a theme; 3. Show them how to create and manage both posts and pages; 4. Show them how to manage comments on posts; 5. If possible point the domain name they've registered at the blog. Either a local or a remote volunteer would be welcome.