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Building Bridges To ICT Excellence

Free ICT Funding Advice For Qualifying London Voluntary Organisations

Lasa (London Advice Services Alliance) is working with the City Bridge Trust over the next year to provide support to voluntary and community groups based in London on all aspects of ICT elements of funding bids to the Trust and others. The project is also supported by the Wates Foundation.

Lasa can help

• increase the efficiency of current ICT equipment, saving time, money and resources
• plan and assess major new systems that will improve the delivery of services
• budget for and assess quotes and purchasing options
• establish sound arrangements for ICT support
• gain a greater understanding of ICT strategy, management and best practice (including accessibility issues).

Lasa's Building Bridges to ICT Excellence project consultant Ian Goodman said, "We're delighted to be able to offer this service to London's voluntary sector. By providing advice on proposed ICT developments and current issues we can pass on the skills and knowledge organisations need to manage their ICT and build capacity. We can help by talking through issues and signposting to online resources."

This advice service is available to organisations who are considering or are in the process of applying for funding to the City Bridge Trust or Wates Foundation or, by referral from the funders, already in receipt of a grant. Referred organisations can take advantage of a more 'hands-on' Circuit Rider service including, where appropriate, an ICT healthcheck, technical consultation and follow up work.

All material for the project has been funded by the City Bridge Trust and Wates Foundation. However, this in no way means that applicants using this information to apply for funding from the Trust or Foundation are guaranteed success or to be funded for the full amount requested. Organisations are therefore encouraged to utilise the advice when applying to other funders, for example, statutory bodies.

To access the service or for more information see www.lasa.org.uk/circuitriders or contact Ian Goodman at Lasa
on 020 7426 4473, email igoodman@lasa,.org.uk.

Even if organisations don't qualify for this project, there's a vast range of free ICT advice and resources obtainable from
Lasa's Knowledgebase www.ictknowledgebase.org.uk and Suppliers Directory www.suppliersdirectory.org.uk.

The project builds on Lasa's successful Circuit Rider project, funded by the City Bridge Trust and the Big Lottery which ran between 2005 and 2007. The evaluations from the project can be downloaded from www.ukriders.info/reports where you can also find a link to the Trust's overview of building ICT capacity in London's Third Sector organisations through Circuit Riding.