e-Champions

Project Manager Debbie Ross e-Neighbourhoods Programme Manager ICT Unit, 7 Camberwell Way, Moorside Sunderland SR3 3XN Tel: 0191 5534216 email

Community e-Champions Technical Support Officer John Bartlam ICT Unit, 7 Camberwell Way, Moorside Sunderland SR3 3XN email

Development Officer Chris Foreman ICT Unit, 7 Camberwell Way, Moorside Sunderland SR3 3XN 0191 561 4258

Visit the team's own website at http://www.sunderland.gov.uk//e-neighbourhoods/

The e-Champions Project is a partnership project between the e-Neighbourhoods Programme and the Community Development Network. E-champions offers technical ICT support, services and training to network delegates.

The Community e-Champions Project plays an integral role in the success of the e-Neighbourhoods Programme. By working in partnership with existing Community and Voluntary Workers who play a key role in engaging the local communities in the use of ICT. The Project builds upon their effective community relationships and networks and encourages the Community e-Champions to act in a facilitation role encouraging other members of their community to identify needs and requirements then use the ICT to help meet these requirements.

The Project develops and builds upon statutory e-Champions Initiative, where Central Government e-Champions and Local Government e-Champions are uniquely joined in Sunderland by a pool of Community e-Champions

The Project is funded by SRB6 Capacity Building monies with the key objective of Building Capacity of Community & Voluntary Sector. This is made possible by building on existing excellent networks, facilitating participation in LSP and using the technologies to sharing Information & Knowledge across the Sector.

The project has its own dedicated technical support and training team whose role is to maintain any hardware and software in use by any of the projects EVH's or e-Champions.

PC's are regularly updated and e-champions training in the use of their laptops to include basic training in

• Using a PC
• surfing the internet
• basics of email
• hands on experience of Microsoft Power Point

This support and training happens both in a classroom situation and at a local suitable for the e-champions themselves.

A special online course for using Microsoft Power point and Publisher were created as many individuals needed to create newsletters, leaflets and presentations for their community groups.

Support - Through working in Partnership Sunderland Voluntary and Community Sector Partnership the project has identified and engaged with Community Network Representatives who will be representing as Delegates of the LSP as the initial group of e-Champions who have played a crucial role in the development of a city-wide e-Champions Network.

Training - Training was given to the Community Network "e-champions" in the use of ICT as a community management tool, also to allow the acquisition of knowledge, experience and skills required for effective community development and citizen engagement. The Community Network e-Champions are at the forefront of the facilitative and promotional processes involved in the engaging citizens in the use of ICT and awareness raising activities within the Voluntary and Community Sector in the potential of ICT as a Community Development enabler.

Equipping - Were non exists delagates are be equipped with laptops and printers with access to other technologies to help them facilitate, manage information and consultation. In providing the Community Network representatives with this technology the Project is not only providing a vessel with which to engage other citizens but also a method of management and development capacity for those organisations with limited ICT resources.

Online surfing advice for parents and kids

Internet users are naturally concerned about security, such as privacy of e-mail, whether to send credit card details over the internet or whether their children can come across undesirable websites. These are all common, valid concerns, but there are measures such as the ones below, you can take to guarantee these don’t happen.

Windows Defender is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware.  Download it here.

AVG Anti-Virus is a free and effective way to help keep you PC safe.  AVG anti virus

The BBC also offers crime prevention advice at http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/prevention/childrenonline.shtml

ICRA - helping parents with online choices

In Windows XP you can set Content Advisor which can control how much of the Internet a person can view using ratings. To do this, click on the Start button on your PC, then click on Control Panel, then Network and Internet Connections, then click on Internet Options, then Content and Enable, once finished click Ok.

E-mails
To safeguard your e-mail address you should only give it to individuals of your choice. Sometimes e-mail addresses are obtained by companies who send you junk e-mails known as ‘spam’. You can try to avoid these by not giving your e-mail address on forms you fill in and never reply to unsolicited e-mails.

It’s all about trust!
Inform children and young people of the risks on the Internet and discuss any concerns you may have, make them aware that they should never meet anyone from the Internet and can talk to you anytime about any concerns they may have.

Houghton Racecourse Community Access Point

They have ICT facilities with Broadband Internet services.  There are 12 PC's all attached to the internet, which are free to use to members of the public, as long as you abide by their Internet Usage Policy.  If necessary, in some cases they have laptops that can be issued for you to use at home.

The Libraries and Information Access Zone (LIAZe) Project started in April 1999. It operates in the former coalfields communities and across the City.

The two project officers use a specially built mobile computer vehicle with 11 networked laptop computers, printers, scanner and digital camera as well as a wide range of multimedia software to empower their clients (ranging from toddlers to the over 80's). Simple word processing, desktop publishing and using the Internet are some of the hands on and free activities. These allow local people who are unsure about using computers, to gain new skills so that they can enjoy the experience and so take up, if they wish, other lifelong learning opportunities for fun or employment.

For more details please contact 0191 5536668 or e-mail liaze.mobile@sunderland.gov.uk

Sunderland City Council Electronic Village Halls and Learning Centres open the door to Information Technology for all providing:

Access to the Internet, CD-ROMs for adults and children, Word Processing, Spreadsheets and databases, Desktop Publishing, Black and Colour printing, A wide range of IT courses, Homework Support and Disabled access.

The following is a list of just some of the City Council Library Service Electronic Village Halls and Free Internet Access Points

City Library and Arts Centre – Fawcett Street – 0191 514 1235 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/City-Library-and-Arts-Centre.asp

Easington Lane Branch Library – High Street – 0191 553 6695
http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/easington-lane.asp

Fence Houses Branch Library – Britannia Terrace - 0191 382 3040 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/fence-houses.asp

Hendon Learning Centre EVH – Toward Road, - 0191 5532750 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/hendon.asp

Hetton Learning Centre EVH – Welfare Road, - 0191 5536665 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/hetton-evh.asp

Houghton Learning Centre EVH – Newbottle Street – 0191 5536475 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/houghtonlibraryevh.asp

Sandhill Centre – Grindon Lane – 0191 5536475
http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/Sandhill-View-evh.asp

Shiney Row Branch Library – Chester Road – 0191 382 3042
http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/shiney-row.asp

Washington Green Library – The Green – 0191 219 3435 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/washington-green.asp

Washington Millennium Centre – The Oval – 0191 2193878 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/millennium-centre-evh.asp

Washington Town Centre EVH – Independence Square - (0191) 219 345 http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries/washington-town-evh.asp

For further information on opening times or provision telephone the EVH/Access Point direct or contact City Library Service:
City Library & Arts Centre, Fawcett Street, Sunderland, SR1 1RE
T: (0191) 514 1235
F: (0191) 514 8444
E: libraries@sunderland.gov.uk \ www.sunderland.gov.uk/libraries

Free Touchscreen Services
You can access services from Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland councils, such as:

• Visitor and tourist information across the region
• Tourist Information is available for the Tyne and Wear region
• Places to visit
• Accommodation listings
• Travel and transport
• Nightlife - Dining out - Regional events
• Things to see and do

Free Online Capacity Development Tools

If you are part of a community group and would like to register for free access to both Flashmeeting and Hexagon please contact Chris Foreman chris.foreman@sunderland.gov.uk. The service is offered at no charge and only requires a basic PC and broadband internet connection.

   Sunderland Community Network, Riverview House, West Wear Street, Sunderland, SR1 1XD.  Click here for map.