Red Chair Newsletter

THE LIBERTIE PROJECT IS NOW RED CHAIR HIGHLAND

Emerging from Lockdown under new management and with a new organisational focus, we now specialise in Digital Inclusion Services, working with a large network of partner referral organisations and funders. We strive to support the digitally excluded community and help close the digital divide. Find out more in this issue.

Who We Are

Red Chair Highland is a Micro Social Enterprise based in Inverness and serving the Highland Region. It has been established since 2016 (as The Libertie Project) and has previously focused on a number of organisational aims.

We have worked in Digital Inclusion across the Highlands for many years. Covid exposed the extent of digital exclusion in the Highlands and the impact of severe social isolation, especially amongst older people, has been stark. We saw the growing importance of helping people to become digitally included

Emerging from Lockdown under new management and with a new organisational focus, we now specialise in Digital Inclusion Services, working with a large network of partner referral organisations and funders. We strive to support the digitally excluded community and help close the digital divide With our shift in focus we have decided to rebrand but will continue our efforts to close the digital divide by providing digital support services under our new name - Red Chair Highland

Rebranding

Why Red Chair Highland?

In early 2022 we completed our sustainability project which enabled us to become more visible in the community by engaging with locals and using our urban garden as a focal point in the area. People would often stop to chat and also donate items. One of these items was a red chair, donated by a kind member of the community.

Our digital hub has gradually got busier and as we move into other, equally challenging times, the red chair sits outside our office every day, now accompanied by a lovely red bench and

represents a welcoming and friendly environment for our service users, organisational contacts and community members.

We were brainstorming one day to find a name that suited our organisational goals going forward and Red Chair did just that! This encapsulates what we stand forsupport and engagement.

Welcome to Red Chair Highland!

Meet The Team

Operations Manager - Kirsty Adam

3 years Digital Project Manager

BA Business Administration

SQF Level 9 Digital Inclusion

Project Management

Experts by Experience panel member with Good Things Foundation

Digital Champion Training

Communications Officer - Kevin Hendry

3 year Digital Project Worker experience

SQF Level 8 Digital Inclusion Project Development

HND Software Development

Digital Champion training

Trained in supporting a range of diverse demographics

Qualifications in supporting older learners

Office Manager - Cath MacInnes

20+ years office experience and administrating for projects

HNC Working with Communities

Digital Champion Training

Experienced in supporting all aspects of project management, including reporting, monitoring, budgeting

Excellent administrative skills

Volunteering

5 years Project Worker experience

2 years Digital Champion

experience in our Digital Hub

SQF level 4 Digital Inclusion

Excellent communication skills

5 Years Creative Project Worker

2 years Prison Vocational Program

Worker

10 years Support Worker Experience

5 Years Digital Champion

HNC Social Care

HNC Complimentary Therapy

ISPA Awards 2022

The small Digital Inclusion team at Red Chair Highland are absolutely thrilled and delighted to have won the ISPA Digital Inclusion Award, sponsored by Good Things Foundation.

We have worked hard over the last two years to help close the digital divide here in the Highlands and are overwhelmed to have been announced as the winner. We would like to give massive thanks to Good Things Foundation and the Online Centres Network for their unwavering support

We would also like to thank to our referral partner network and our digital inclusion service users.

Digital Champion - Ruth MacAulay

Project Worker – Megan Morrison

Device Bank

We were delighted to work with Good Things Foundation and Virgin Media O2 to pilot a device gifting initiative called the National Device Bank. The National Device Bank provided vetted members of the Online Centre Network exclusive access to free refurbished devices and data for beneficiaries we support.

The National Device Bank pilot provided refurbished devices and data to community partners, who gifted these to individuals who were digitally excluded. Throughout the pilot we learned about the impact of receiving refurbished devices for referrers and individuals, and evaluated the environmental impact of providing refurbished devices.

We recieved some fantastic feedback from the project and it has been amazing to see the devices having such a positive impact. Recipients have been able to keep in touch with family, access essential services online, improve digital skills, employability and much more. 93% of recipients said that recieving a device improved their day to day life

National Databank

Here at the Red Chair Highland we are delighted to be a registered centre for the National Databank. A collaboration between Good Things Foundation and Virgin Media O2, The National Databank is giving free mobile data to people who can’t afford an internet connection. Following a successful pilot last year, the National Databank is active and growing with both Vodafone and Three joining. We’re so pleased with the impact it has had so far. As the cost of living emergency continues, supporting people with their internet costs is absolutely essential. More info about the databank herewww.goodthingsfoundation.org/databank

We are continuing to provide SIM cards as part of the project. Vodafone SIMs provide unlimited calls, texts and 20gb of data each month for 6 months. Simply pop your new SIM into a vodafone or an unlocked device and it will activate your 6 month allowance that refreshes each month. O2 SIMs provide unlimited calls, texts and 20gb of data each month for 6 months, delivered via a voucher each month by text message. O2 sims require some extra set up on our end so get in touch for more info. An O2 or unlocked device will be required. Three SIMs come with a one time allowance of 24gb of data and do not include calls or texts. A Three or unlocked device will be required

Are you supporting someone who could benefit from this? The recipient should be in Data Poverty - that is not being able to afford sufficient access to broadband or mobile data.

Contact us on 01463 417240 or info@redchairhighland.scot for more info or to receive a referral form

Common Good Fund

At the end of 2022 we were awarded funding from the Inverness Common Good Fund to provide refurbished devices to digitally excluded households in the Highlands. We worked with ILM Highland and ReBOOT to source refurbished devices that we then distributed via our referral network. We also be offered free digital support and/or free learning resources for those that required it

We had anticipated purchasing 80 refurbished digital devices, however, due to the good working relationships with our partners, we received a significant discount which allowed us to actually purchase 108 devices which we have distributed to 108 digitally excluded people over the last 9 weeks. A 35% increase.

We supported households all across the Highlands from Fort William to Inverness, to Wick, including 22 remote towns and villages in between where digital exclusion is high. Referrers from various roles across 18 organisations helped us to achieve this.

By providing digital devices, connectivity and support we have enabled 108 households to become digitally included. This has provided the opportunity for them to access the digital world, complete digital life tasks and improve their health and wellbeing

We have been awarded funding for a second round of Common Good Fund devices. Referral forms will be sent out in the coming weeks

Media Literacy for older adults

We’re proud to have been chosen by Ofcom to provide online media literacy skills in our community, as part of its Making Sense of Media programme. Our aim is to Protect older adults and those at risk of digital exclusion from online fraud and scams

We will achieve this via group and 1-1 sessions at our digital hub as well as community outreach and digital drop in sessions

Community OutreachDigital Drop-in Sessions

Our digital drop in sessions at Hilton Community Centre and Ness Bank Church have been a huge success and we aim to run more community outreach sessions in the summer Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. These sessions are designed to help you get the most from your device We can teach you basic digital skills, accessibility features and help you with any issues you may be having. Take your own device or borrow one of ours All staff are friendly, fully trained Digital Champions

Remember there is no such thing as a silly question! We all have to start somewhere!

Highland Employability Partnership

We have been funded by The Scottish Government and The Highland Council to deliver an Employability Digital Support project across the HIghland region.

Digital ability is now an essential skill that will improve the employability of any job seeker Without the kit and skills to use devices and access the digital world, digitally excluded job seekers are wholly disadvantaged, both in terms of having the skills to seek and apply for work but also in respect of bringing up to date digital skills to the workplace.

We intend to deliver a digital support programme with an employability focus, working with our established, extensive network of referral partners across the Highlands Our network will help us to identify and will refer people who would benefit from digital employability support

The support will be made up of:

Working with referrer partners to inform of support available

Carrying out initial digital skills and connectivity assessments of the service user referred to establish immediate digital needs and digital learning goals.

Providing, where necessary, appropriate devices (smartphone, tablet, chromebook or laptop) along with suitable connectivity (mifi where required and free data sim cards) to ensure that the service user is immediately connected to Job coaches, support agencies, training and education and job searches.

Providing one-to-one set up and support service to ensure that service users can confidently operate any devices provided.

We will design and deliver individually tailored digital skills training to bring their basic digital skills up to the required standard - such training will include internet safety, awareness of scams and fraud, email, using online forms, word processing for CVs, job searching online etc. Free basic digital skills training courses will be available for service users to build and develop digital ability and confidence.

We will utilise hybrid means of support including face-to-face at our digital hub and digital outreach sessions within our communities, and also remote forms of support via our dedicated digital support phone line, email and video call.

Group workshops will be delivered both online and in person at our hub and will cover digital employability topics such as using online job search sites, using email to attach and send CVs, using online job application forms

Working with both the referrer and the service user, we will carry out regular impact assessments during and after delivery of the support to establish and record the impact of the project on the service user, and to inform and shape our own work going forward.

Ongoing available digital support from our team of digital champions at our digital hub for service users beyond the life of the project

Free Access to Digital Learning

e able to offer free access to a range of online ng, and can give study and digital support. ing includes:

nline Basics

nline learning resources

gital Skills for Life gital Skills for Work

gital Career Skills

Employability Services

We are excited to offer Digital Employability Services at our Digital Hub.

We can provide a safe space for people to complete digital eployability tasks such as managing your benefits online, jobsearch, applications and CVs We can also provide support for those wanting to improve thei digital skills.

Public access wifi

Digital device access

Face to face support appointments

Digital support

Digital skills training

PAT Testing Service

Our digital project worker, Kevin, has recently completed his Portable Appliance Testing training and we are excited to be able to offer a fairly priced, not for profit pat testing service for charities, third sector organisations and small businesses

We will be using a brand new, fully calibrated Seaward PrimeTest 100 machine. All tests will be carried out to the highest of standards and we will provide a certificate of completion and a log of all items tested. We are still firming up our pricing plan but we expect the average package to be around £45 for 20 items and £1.20 per item thereafter. We will be able to offer smaller or larger packages depending on the needs of your business

58 Denny Street, Inverness IV2 3AR