UKriders

The entry level 5-user version of Lasa's case management contact database system AIMS is now available free of charge. It can be downloaded from the main Lasa web site at www.lasa.org.uk/aims

The AIMS team amended the original Access version of the AIMS Core package, giving people all the features but limiting it to a maximum of 5 users. AIMS is a useful free resource for community groups needing to report on their client services. See the Lasa website for more information or email the AIMS team on aims@lasa.org.uk.

I've just noticed that the CVC Circuit Riders in South West Wales have created an excellent new site - "VICTOR (Voluntary sector ICT Online Resource) is for everyone involved in voluntary action in Wales and is designed to help them quickly find useful ICT resources, which will save time and money during their everyday activities." http://circuitriderswales.org.uk

Lasa's long running magazine Computanews is now available as a free download from the Lasa website.

Computanews is full of informative and entertaining articles, written in plain English and relevant to small voluntary organisations. Topics include:

• News of the latest IT developments in the voluntary sector
• How-to articles in plain English
• Reports from organisations on how they got ICT under control
• Analysis of strategy issues affecting voluntary sector ICT
• Software and book reviews

This issue looks at Internet news feeds, mobile 2.0 for the VCS and the Circuit Rider principles  (which has input from Riders Jae Campbell, Dave Greenhalgh, Paul Jefford, Morgan Killick and John Kenyon)

Download the current issue, Computanews 149

Lasa is delighted to announce that version 1.0 of the ICT standards and skills guide has been released. Entitled "Improving Circuit Rider Service To Voluntary And Community Organisations ~ Tools To Build Circuit Rider Competencies" it was authored by Marc Osten at Summit Collaborative and informed by UKRiders, the advisory group, conference attendees and a host of others. It's available to download over at www.ukriders.info/training-and-standards/icthub Following a section on the rationale behind the Guides there are 5 VCO ICT standards:

• ICT Planning
• ICT Infrastructure
• ICT Implementation and Maintenance
• Staff and other Internal Stakeholder Communications
• External Constituent Communications

Each standard is described and competencies which Riders require to assist the VCO to achieve those standards are listed.  The guide can be used by Riders engaged on a skills development programme (formal or otherwise) to assess their needs and then use the Personal Learning Plan. We'll be piloting the Guide as part of the London Region ICT Infrastructure Project (see www.ukriders.info/training-and-standards/lriip ) but we're also hoping that it will be valuable to other Riders around the country. As mentioned this is version 1 - please let us know any feedback on the content or structure.
 

Building Bridges to ICT Excellence

Lasa is working with The City Bridge Trust and the Wates Foundation to provide support to voluntary and community groups based in London on all aspects of ICT elements of funding bids to the Trust and Foundation - see www.lasa.org.uk/circuitriders for more information.

If you are a London rider, an accidental techie or someone who provides technology support to London non-profits - Lasa is running a network meeting on 24 September at SAVO (Southwark Voluntary Action). See

http://www.ukriders.info/networklondon

for more information.

An interesting debate going on over at

http://hs.technologyandsocialaction.org/hotseat-4

with the focus on the question that Marc is asking: Will Web 2.0 be the tool set we need to change the world? This is similar to the spectrogramme we ran at the Rider Conference earlier this year - see how the argument has moved on...

The City Bridge Trust have recently published a paper in their The Knowledge - Learning from London series which is on the Lasa Circuit Rider project which was funded by them and the Big Lottery 2005-2007. See http://tinyurl.com/6fcx2d

David Wilcox has posted a number of videos from the conference over on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DB87B12F0F5BDC9F We have an embedded link to the spectrogram videos over on the Welcome page in the Conference Agenda http://www.ukriders.info/conference/welcome

There's a brief report on the Conference over on the ICT Hub site - Birmingham Rides Again!