Do you know someone who has volunteered their time and
IT skills to help a charity or their local community? If so, you
only have a short time left to nominate them for the 2006 IT
Volunteer Awards, organised by IT4Communities.
IT4Communities, supported by Computer Weekly since its launch in
2002, acts as a clearing house between charities with IT needs and
IT professionals who wish to donate their time and expertise to
assist them.
It is run by the Information Technologists Company, the City of
London livery company at the hub of many IT-related charitable and
educational activities.
The main award will go to the IT volunteer who has made the most
difference to a charity through their help. Charities are to
nominate IT volunteers who have given their time to a project and
been reliable and technically competent.
The winning entrant will also have demonstrated good
communication skills in explaining technical issues to charity
staff, and to have enabled sustainability by providing the charity
with the skills to keep things going after the project has been
completed.
IT4Communities is also looking to honour the best IT
volunteering project - the best combination of charity and IT
volunteer. The organisation urges IT volunteers not to be shy about
nominating themselves and the charity they have worked with if they
have been involved in a good project.
Complexity is not an issue. "The project could be very simple
technically, but one which made a real difference to the way in
which the charity functions," said IT4Communities.
Factors the awards judges are looking for include how each party
managed the working relationship and kept things on course,
quantified evidence of improved business performance by the charity
as a result, and sustainability for the future.
Other awards are for the most innovative volunteering project,
the best charity for IT volunteering, and the IT volunteering
project which has had the most direct positive impact on people
with disabilities.
The closing date for entries is 25 October 2006.
www.it4communities.org.uk
www.wcit.org.uk