Case studies

Leeds Library and Information Service Social Impact Demonstrator Project

One of the successful Social Impact Demonstrator projects is to be run by the Leeds Library and Information Service. Involving the 50 plus libraries across Leeds, the project will target families in poverty.

Jason Tutin, Learning Co-ordinator, says: "The Social Impact Demonstrators project is being delivered by two full-time project workers who co-ordinate activity across the city. It will see us consulting with our target audience and developing new learning materials, and new systems of outreach and referral.

"Partnership working across Leeds City Council is key to the project, and with the help of the Neighbourhood Learning Team we've successfully bid for an e-learning bus which is heading out to schools, community centres, community events and even shopping centre car parks. The idea is to get ICT out to people who wouldn't walk into an internet café, a UK online centre or even their local library.

One of our other partners is the Interplay Theatre, who specialise in engaging disaffected young people, and they're helping us get young people interested with new media activities. Sessions include film, music, radio and visual arts. Both Interplay Theatre and the e-learning bus can offer free accreditation if people want some formal recognition of their learning.

"Another aspect of the project is our partnership work with a cluster of extended schools in Armley - one of the city's most deprived wards. There we've got computer clubs and family sessions, and we're encouraging parents to come in and work with their children. We are building on a successful family support project in the schools and we hope some parents will stay with the project for the whole year. We want to offer parents the chance to learn new skills at their own pace.

"As well as learning how to support schoolwork, parents will also get the chance to do things like look up Ofsted reports, apply for free school meals online or complete the online admissions form. We're currently looking into how we can demonstrate 'impact' not just by looking at the progress of parents but by tracking pupils' performance at school. We think there's a link between getting parents involved in their children's education and their children's behaviour and results in the classroom, but we want this project to prove it.

"It's important for us to help people relate ICT to their own lives. For instance, we have libraries based in council housing offices and here staff are helping people fill in forms online and register their interest in council properties. Other libraries have a high proportion of older users, and they're running sessions looking at relevant pension information on direct.gov.

"We're also working with one of the Council's One Stop Centres that's in shared premises with the library in Armley. It's staffed by people who can answer any council query, or at least point clients in the right direction, and it's usually very busy. We want to see people with queries which can be dealt with online referred to the computers in the library, where they can get help finding what they need.

"If you live in Leeds there's something out there on the internet of use and of interest to you. Even if it's something as simple and mundane as reporting on broken street lights or pot holes, people can improve their lives and their communities without actually leaving them, by contacting government online. By working with the Council and co-ordinating our approach, we can really make sure people are accessing the services they need in the way that's easiest for them."

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