UK online centres is a UK-based government-funded organisation which helps communities tackle social and digital exclusion.
UK online centres coordinates a network of 3800 community partners, who provide free or low-cost access to computers and the internet. The organisation also provide training and support to hundreds of volunteers, centre staff and community leaders, helping them to work within their own communities.
Over 500,000 people have been helped to take their first steps online through UK online centres to date, with many centre users also going on to further learning and increased employment opportunities.[1][2] [3]
In 2011 the management of UK online centres was taken over by OCF, a staff-owned mutual and social enterprise formed by the Sheffield-based team previously managing the UK online centres contract on behalf of Ufi Ltd. [4]
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In April 2011, UK online centres launched a brand new learning platform – Go ON (www.go-on.co.uk/learn). The website was developed by UK online centres with the aim of bringing together all of the resources on the market for internet beginners, including those developed specifically by UK online centres, and from other providers including the BBC and Digital Unite.
The new website contains four main sections:
Get started, which includes fun, engagement resources to help get first time learners started.
Online basics, the course that was developed in conjunction with BIS and Becta to provide learners with all of the skills they need to get started with computers and the internet.
Learn more, which includes a number of popular courses including Facebook and socialising online, Shopping online and Using a computer.
What’s next, which contains resources to help learners progress, including details on volunteering opportunities.
myguide, the original learning platform which was developed by UK online centres ceased to exist in September 2011. The most popular courses that existed on myguide have been moved across to the new learning platform, Go ON.
UK online centres work closely with Martha Lane Fox and Race Online 2012 to support the Digital Champions programme, which aims to encourage people to help their offline friends and family to get started with computers and the internet.
In April 2011, UK online centres announced a new funding stream, Community Capacity Builder funding. 50 UK online centres were provided with large grants to recruit Digital Champions and work with partners in their local area to help get whole communities online.
From 18 to 24 October 2010, UK online centres ran Get online week, getting nearly 80,000 people started with computers and the internet. Many organisations partnered with UK online centres to help make this week happen, including the BBC, Race Online 2012, Post Offices, BT, Three Mobile, Google, Sky, and Facebook.
Get online week is an annual event and the 5th Get online week took place 31 October – 6 November 2011, following a “Give an hour” theme.
There are currently 8.7 million people who don’t use computers and the internet, and these people are likely to be socially excluded as well as lacking in online skills. UK online centres, along with their partners, are aiming to combat this digital and social exclusion.