The Media Trust’s Digital Mentor project has been renamed as ‘Community Voices’. But that’s about all their website will tell you.

There’s a page for Community Voices but all it tells us is:

Community Voices aims to inspire, engage and support disadvantaged and isolated communities across England to get their voices heard through digital media.

Led by Media Trust, and running until March 2011, Community Voices will provide funding for 26 grassroots groups, alongside one major new initiative and a further 40 small grants for specific digital projects. Community Voices will also provide comprehensive tools and resources for communities and community organisations of all sizes to increase engagement through digital media.

Community Voices is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (formerly DIUS).

There may be more information behind the ‘Get Involved’ link, but you have to register and declare whether you are interested in being either a pilot project or a media volunteer. Neither thanks, until I know what they involve.

There’s nothing to explain the targets of the project or how it’s being delivered. And there’s no mention of training ‘mentors’, which we were reassured would be the case (unfortunately off-camera, as the battery had run out) when Clare, David and I spoke to them at the National Digital Inclusion conference. Sadly that part of the conversation wasn’t recorded*, but I asked what this community (ie the one that developed around this blog) could do other than act as a critical onlooker: Gavin told us that they wanted people to put themselves forward as mentors. That was the last we heard of it.

Media Trust - if you’re listening - please at least provide more information about what you’re doing.

*Amendment

As Clare White points out, David did in fact get an audio recording of Gavin explaining how people already working in the field can help.

The relevant bit of that recording is transcribed here:

David Wilcox:
Is there any role for people who are already acting as digital mentors?

Gavin Sheppard:
Yes, huge roles. We want people who have any kind of expertise in this at all to be involved; to be involved in giving that training, supporting projects going forward, matching them up as mentors to individuals and to community projects. Not just the ones that are funded but hopefully other community projects as well.

DW:
So this could work at different levels: new people, in existing community groups…

GS:
Absolutely.

DW:
…people who already have digital mentoring expertise, and people in industry?

GS:
Absolutely. I think if you’ve got an interest and any experience, there’s a role for you in it.

DW:
Great; so, get in touch…

GS:
Get in touch, register with the site, and we’ll be keeping people updated as to how they can get involved.

David Wilcox caught up with Louise Howells, Web Content Manager at the Media Trust to talk about the MT’s plans for Digital Mentors using AudioBoo.

More can be found about MediaTrust’s plans on their website.

Has anyone heard anything about progress with the digital mentors project since Media Trust won the bid? Things seem to have gone awfully quiet…

Helen Milner of UK online centres has launched a new site to start a new conversation around digital enagement.

Looks like it will be a really interesting discussion space. Just to be completely open and transparent - I built the site, and will be contributing in the future. I hope others do too.

The digital mentor project has been awarded to the MediaTrust’s bid. Hopefully soon we will see from them how they intend to run the project to provide social media skills and tools to disadvantaged communities.

This is, I think, an appropriate moment to ask people who visit this blog what they see as being the continuing role of the site? Should we scrutinise the actions taken by MediaTrust, or just leave them to get on with it?

Or should we continue to highlight all the good work going on in the digital mentoring field and share knowledge and experience on how it was done?

The final specification from DCLG for the digital mentor project has been sent out - and made available for download on Voicebox.

Interestingly, it turns out that DCLG cannot publicly announce the names of the 5 consortia who have made it through. Several, of course, have outed themselves in the interests of transparency and collaboration. But who are the others - and why so reticent?

Well, the EoI have been looked at by CLG and I understand that 5 bids have been accepted to go onto the next stage. I know of three: Voicebox, MediaTrust and Navca. Well done to all involved in those three! As to the identity of the others, I don’t think anyone knows - other than guessing based on those that put their hands up at the CLG event the other week (WEA? Liverpool John Moores Uni?).

Secondly, UK online centres’ Anne Faulkner has posted a huuuuuge summary of what has happened so far with digital mentors. Quite a few people who have contributed here get a mention! There is lots to be discussed in the post, not least the bit where Anne puts forward a potential model for the digital mentor initiative to use. Do visit and have a read and leave your views.

Thanks to Dave for pointing everyone to our published EOI for the digital mentor tender from CLG. We hope that our openness with this and the other parts of our process will encourage others to come and collaborate with the Voicebox bid!

We have created a new section of the Voicebox blog, called ‘The big picture’, which is where people can give their thoughts on the project as a whole, rather than just comment on particular work packages. We need as many voices as possible to contribute their thoughts and ideas to help us shape our bid - all you have to do is email your thoughts to admin@voice-box.org.uk and we will arrange for them to be posted to the blog. Alternatively, if you would like to become a regular contributor, we can creator an account for you on the site too.

If you have things to say about the individual work packages, though, please still contribute to those! The process is just the same - just let us know where you would like your post to appear!

All the expressions of interest should have been submitted by close of play on Monday. Can anyone confirm which consortia leads have entered?

I only know of the Voice box bid, as the EoI has been posted on the blog there. Any others?

David Wilcox has written up a nice summary of Wednesday’s event:

At this week’s briefing workshop, run by the Department of Communities and Local Government, we heard how they were looking for one lead organisation to emerge from the bidding process, and for them to work with local demonstrators.

After the official presentation, there were three-minute slots for organisations to make their pitch, and as you can see above, Helen Milner, managing director of UK Online Centres, rose to the occasion with a commitment to an open process inspired by the digitalmentor sites set up by Dave Briggs. The blog, wiki and mailing list has completely eclipsed the forum set up by the Department, providing a neutral space for anyone interested in developing the digital technologies to support communities. I declare an interest here in encouraging Dave, Helen and others down the open bidding route, based on experienced with Open Innovation Exchange bidding process last year.

He also included a bit of video of three cheeky looking scamps, and encouraged us to voice some slightly mischievous opinions…

What do we think about the point I raise at the end? Is the wiki we have here any good for recording stories and methodologies? Should projects be written up on the blog instead? Or is there another way for everyone to connect up what they are doing with everyone else’s activity?