Focus On: Community Connected
The Mayor gives Community Award to Volunteer who has taken forward Community Connected Initiative.
April 2010

Stemming from a strong partnership approach in 2006 by RBK (the lead in this instance being Scott Herbertson), the KVA ICT project Superhighways accessed a substantial Learning and Skills Council Capital fund called Neighbourhood Learning for Deprived Communities.  This has funded The Community Connected initiative that has established free broadband wireless in a number of areas across the borough.  Community Connected then started Wireless Wednesdays on the Cambridge Road Estate to support the project.

Steve Everard, a key Computer Club volunteer, was recognised recently by the Mayor for his important contribution to the borough.  This is an extract from the citation given by Hilary Garner, KVA’s Chief Executive at the Mayor’s Awards Ceremony.

“He is so committed to this project that as the three year funding for it neared its end, Steve and a fellow resident set up the Cambridge Road Computer Club to take over the running of the wireless internet on the estate and to build on the good work of the project so that the residents don’t lose out.  They acquired funding for one year and have just applied for the next year.

The drop-in shop, which is where residents apply for computers and take in their computers to be mended, has continued and now runs every week instead of fortnightly.  A group of volunteers run regular, short workshops for the residents covering such areas such as How to look after your Computer and Basic IT.

Steve has successfully approached various local organisations such as universities and colleges asking them to donate their old PCs to the project and, to-date, has managed to acquire 100 PCs and over 150 screens.”

This club has been instrumental in sustaining the Community Connected work long after the investment funding had finished.

Cambridge Road Computer Club runs Wireless Wednesday sessions every Wednesday from 2 to 6.30pm.  It also offers training on “How to Look After Your Computer”, fortnightly on Wednesday mornings.  For further information about the club visit www.cambridgeroadcomputerclub.org.uk