1. Digital Champions – Introduction for MAES Staff
Going Digital-13/09/13
Digital Champions – Introduction for MAES Staff

2. Aims & Outcomes
Aim: To develop an awareness of the MAES Digital Champions project and the impact of digital inclusion on the lives of all.

3. Outcomes
Outcomes:
By the end of the session, participants will be able to
Understand how MAES Digital Champion’s project fits within national and local government drivers
Identify how they can assist the project within their work
Identify websites which may help them in their personal lives

4. Digital Champions: An Introduction
MAES is working with Manchester Digital Development Agency who coordinate the Go ON Manchester campaign which is recruiting Digital Champions. There are over 200 already signed up.

5. Go ON Manchester A digital inclusion campaign
Part of Manchester’s Digital Strategy
Aim to halve the number of people offline by 2015
Manchester has a ten point digital strategy and Go ON is one of the key campaigns, with a specific target of getting over 30,000 people online by The strategy is available on the MCC website as well as on Go ON website. Go ON is a local campaign but it is part of a national initiative (used to be Race Online 2012, now Go ON .co.uk)

6. Digital Champions Promote the benefits
“Digital champions are people who are confident online, not IT experts, who are willing to share their skills with others.”
Martha Lane Fox, UK Digital Champion
Promote the benefits
of being online to friends, family, workmates, colleagues, neighbours, clients, and customers
Help others with some of the basics like setting up and using , or understanding e-safety
People need encouragement to get online if they are beginners – they are likely to respond better to people they identify with, or already know. Digital Champions are successful at helping people get going because people trust them and because they are enthusiastic, not because they are experts.
Help others by being a friendly ‘ear’ – someone who will answer questions like ‘What is wi-fi?’

7. Digital Champions
May already be active - they may be the ‘go-to’ person in the workplace or even in the family
Can volunteer to join a community-based scheme where they help individuals who are less confident with technology
Can volunteer to provide Digital Business expertise to other small businesses or start-ups
Signing up to be a Digital Champion may not mean that you take on anything new – you may already have that role. That’s fine – there are no expectations, but you may find it useful to use the resources on Go ON Manchester and it may be good to get together with other champions. Over the course of the campaign there will be a variety of events and opportunities for building skills for Digital Champions.
Some people may want to sign up to volunteer in the community, or as someone with particular skills to help people just setting up in business, or a business that needs some specific advice, for example on social media.
In all cases, a friendly ear is one of the most important things to offer. If people ask questions that you don’t know the answer to, that’s fine. You might be able to find the answer with them on the internet, and help interpret the information. You might be able to find out from another Digital Champion through the discussion forum on Go ON Manchester. You might refer the person to another source of information, either face-to-face, or online.

8. What resources can I use?
Resources on Go ON Manchester
Inspiring people to get online
‘How to’ guides
Signpost to local ICT courses and facilities
Case Studies
Coming soon - more resources to support new changes, like universal job match and universal credit calculator.
The resource section is growing. Digital Champions who want to be pro-active should look at the Top Tips document which has ideas about how to persuade people to give it a go. There are how-to guides on a range of topics. There is information about where people can get online if they don’t have equipment or connectivity at home. We are building case studies of how getting online has changed people’s lives.

9. How do I become a champion?
Sign up on go-on-manchester.com and join the mailing list
Complete a survey – tell us about your skills
Regular bulletins will let you know about opportunities for volunteering, and events in your area you can help with
The sign-up process has two stages (now streamlined!), so - first you give your name and address and that is all that’s absolutely necessary. You are then invited to complete a survey and sign up to the Ground Rules. When you’ve done that, you will receive a welcome letter and a Digital Champion badge (should go out next week). Opportunities for volunteering are advertised through the mailing list, and on the website, and there are some specific requests for help which will be sent to selected Digital Champions, if perhaps they have told us about a particular area of expertise, of for help in a particular area. (First sets of info should be going out next week – volunteering to help people in libraries, and at some forthcoming events in the city centre – from March, in local areas)