Projects and pilots

Small grant projects

Background

In March 2006, UK online centres announced £2.4m of DfES funding to support development activities in the network between November 2006 and July 2007.

The small grants, of around £10,000 each, were awarded to UK online centres motivating and supporting key target groups to develop IT skills and access online services.

The aim of the funding was to show that the UK online centre network was able to impact specific target groups. Echoing the audiences later identified in the Social Exclusion Action Plan, the 240 projects across England are working with families in poverty, adults with mental health issues, teenage parents, carers, and older people.

Projects have used the grant funding to set up outreach activities, extend staff hours and even to update equipment and enable learners to learn in their homes.

Tracking 'soft' impacts

Each small grant project aimed to introduce people to the internet, and to progress them on to further learning, employment related activities like CV building, or more general information, advice and guidance on learning and career opportunities.

Tracking that progression is a key output of the project, along with a requirement to record softer impacts like improved confidence, self esteem, and increased likelihood of continuing to use the internet. Such factors might be hard to quantify, but by doing so the projects can begin to establish a value for them, and demonstrate the impact not just on people, but on communities and wider government priorities.

Further information on the small grant project results will be available later this year in the Reading room.

Case study

Nubian Life for black elders in Hammersmith and Fulham

A centre in the heart of White City is working to increase opportunities for isolated and vulnerable black elders.

Read more about Nubian Life

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