We were invited to the resident involvement day at Soho Community Centre, Birmingham by the Resident University. We were on hand to give an insight into how social technology can be used to support community related endeavours. There’s already quite a burgeoning online presence for Soho, sites like http://sohowardbirmingham.com/ and http://www.sohofoundation.org.uk/. The Soho Finger Neighbourhood Forum [...]

Here’s an introduction to social media I wrote for participants in Birmingham’s Resident University some time ago. It’s aimed at active citizens who are new to the social web, but you may find something useful in it.

We know of the high percentage of older people who don’t go online. The reasons cited include access, risk and motivation amongst others. Maybe there’s something more fundamental here. As a teenager growing up in the 80′s, I was usually the one called on by my Mom to program the video recorder, or my Nan [...]

Announced a few weeks back with at the Digital Inclusion conference, the new Jobcentreplus Iphone App really does miss the point. Currently (and for a few years now), the Internet provides a wealth of free-to-use tools that if connected and used in a creative manner, can support a whole range of stuff, including unemployment. What [...]

My PA What’s your idea? An online system that sends out reminders by SMS (whatever online communication suits the young person) helping them to keep track of order restrictions, meetings, appointments, commitments. It would be managed in conjunction with case workers and could offer tailored ‘nudges’ (for example reminders of appointments the night before) — [...]