Community Information Portal Offers Model for Others
Kent’s lead technology partnership, Kent Connects, and Thanet District Council have successfully developed a Community Information Portal promoting local voluntary and community groups and activities.
Most local authority areas typically have many hundreds, if not thousands, of local community and voluntary organisations including charities, clubs and societies. Until now, each has been responsible for promoting itself to potential volunteers, members and service users. Thanet’s Community Information Portal, developed as a pilot for other authority areas with support from Kent Connects, now offers a central ‘marketplace’ for local organisations to promote their services and activities for free.
Launched in July, the project has been part funded with money from the European Union as a model for other Kent and Medway authorities to use. Thanet District Council has acted as a guinea pig for the site, test driving the prototype and working with website design company, Red Ant, to perfect it.
Thanet wrote to approximately 1000 local clubs, societies and voluntary groups inviting them to sign up for free. Paul Lawes, TDC’s Web Development & Access Manager, reports ‘Feedback has been positive and 300 organisations are already on-line with new ones joining daily. Signing up is simple - the site has self-service instructions for entering and updating content. We keep a watching eye on content to ensure nothing offensive is posted and the process has been trouble-free.’
As well as contact details for each organisation the site contains a calendar of events, job and volunteer opportunities, and regular news updates. A powerful search engine means that website visitors can look for a particular category of interest in their particular town or village.
Debbie Wisdom, Strategic Director of Kent Connects, says the project is just one of many the partnership has initiated. ‘Kent Connects represents all the Kent and Medway Authorities plus Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Together we are using leading edge technology to join up local services, making them more accessible and cost effective for Kent and Medway residents. We are delighted to have been behind the Thanet Community Information portal and believe it has potential to be replicated elsewhere, not just in Kent and Medway – we are happy to share our experience and expertise from the project with others.’
Visit the site on-line at www.thanet.gov.uk/communityportal
Issued: 19 September 2007
