Digital Inclusion Wales: 2008 Conference Report 07
• Based on the Lisbon agenda • While the precise geographical
approach, the next phase of coverage of the next phase has
the project will help community to be determined, the priority is
groups and voluntary on Communities First areas. In
organisations to exploit addition, while the initial focus
technologies for economic will be on Convergence areas
outcomes, as well as (former Objective One),
supporting them to reduce Communities @One will be
digital exclusion. equally committed to non-
• The ‘point of departure’ for the
Convergence areas. Deprivation
initiative will be the existing
and other criteria will also be
200+ projects, and that the
considered. The audience was
Communities @One team will
told how Communities @One
work with them on skills
had formed excellent
enhancement for employment,
relationships with a number
income generation and with
of local authorities including
new and existing social
Carmarthenshire and Caerphilly.
enterprises. He explained that
the work will be developed
>The next phase of the project will
incrementally; all aspects will
not start simultaneously.
provide a ‘tailored package of support’
• In the early stages of phase
to groups and individuals, rather than
two, an initial ‘needs analysis’
of each project will be
being primarily a grant fund
conducted and the nature of
support/accompaniment will Alun concluded his
be determined accordingly. presentation by telling the
• A multi-faceted approach will
audience that an Expression
be used to address any barriers
of Interest (EOI) had been
that may exist within the
submitted to WEFO in relation
projects to help ensure
to the proposed second phase
sustainability. These barriers
of Communities @One and that
may be organisational or
an associated business plan
technical or based around
was being worked on. Existing
business skills and ICT literacy.
projects will be kept informed
on the progress of the
• Within the Wales Co-operative application for phase two
Centre, the Communities @One funding.
digital inclusion team will
become more integrated with Updates are being made
the Centre’s Business Support available on the Communities
team due to the @One website –
complementary nature of the www.communitiesatone.org
existing, social justice agenda
with the new, economically
focused agenda.