WIREDGOV

Community organisations will get expert advice on going digital, and are being challenged to use technology to do more of what they do best, all at a new conference taking place this winter.  

The Digital evolution, local action conference takes place on 27 November at the BT Centre in London.  It aims to give grassroots delegates a view of the high-level policy areas affecting them, uncover the barriers they face when engaging with new online tools, and send them away with new ideas to put to use back home.  

The conference will be chaired by former Labour Schools Minister and Employment Minister, Lord Jim Knight, who is also the chair of Online Centres Foundation, the organisation behind the conference.  He says:  “Technology can change lives and bring communities together, but often local and community organisations struggle to harness its power. At the Digital evolution, local action conference we want to inspire social change in local communities by breaking down barriers, sharing best practice, and providing practical support to help organisations do more - more easily - with digital tools.”  

Delegates will get to take part in interactive workshops and hear from the experts about how technology can be used to deliver projects, improve services, build communities and organise local action.  Speakers will include Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd MP , Marcelle Speller founder of Localgiving.com, Dan Thompson - the creator of #riotcleanup and #WeWillGather, and Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net, which helps non-profit organisations around the world make better use of technology.  

At the end of the day, Lord Knight will collect pledges to find out what people intend to try out or do differently in their communities as a result of the conference.  

The Digital evolution, social action conference is delivered by Online Centres Foundation - which runs the national network of UK online centres.  Chief Executive Helen Milner added:  “We’re really excited about the conference and the opportunity to give local social innovators new tools to do their day-to-day work - and hopefully more confidence in their personal ability to make a difference.  These are the people who are in the driving seat for social justice in Britain.  If you’re one of them, and feel you could make more of technology to make more of an impact, it would be great to have you join this conversation.”

Tickets are on sale now at only £135 + VAT, and £95 + VAT for members of the UK online centres network.  To find out more visit the Conference webpages at http://bit.ly/UkSHl7 or follow #dela2012.

For more information about this press release, please contact Abi Stevens abi.stevens@ukonlinecentres.com or Anna Geraghty anna.geraghty@ukonlinecentres.com 07872 992748.  

Notes to editors

The Digital evolution, local action conference is run by Online Centres Foundation, a staff owned mutual with a mission to support digitally and socially excluded people at scale, by translating national strategies into social action at the most local level.  This achieved via a network of 3,800 hyper-local UK online centres, based in some of the most deprived communities in the country.  www.ukonlinecentres.com