TRAINING WITH ENGAGE MULTIMEDIA

To Samworth Enterprise Academy (photo above) this afternoon, for a free taster training session with Engage Multimedia. Becky Sanderson and Matt Hughes present short, bright and informative sessions on desktop publishing and social media respectively, to four of us, from different charitable organisations.

Despite the fact that I've used computers at work since the late 1980s, I've barely got past the most basic applications and have never had the chance to expand my skillset beyond fairly straightforward wordprocessing. I hope that I'll get the chance now to get a little further down the road!

I've met Becky a few times at various functions at Phoenix Square and met Matt for the first time at the most recent amplified Leicester session. As Matt is in charge of the website and other ICT functions at Samworth Academy (a Church of England school and one of the most prominent faith-led institutions in the area), I ask him if he would consider being on the panel for the session on "Amplified Communities of Faith and/or Belief" that Prof Sue Thomas has asked me to lead for Amplified Leicester in March next year. The fact that he'll be organising local projects for NetSquared (to which we were introduced by Amy Sample-Ward at the last Amplified session) will enhance his credibility for such an occasion. I am glad to say that Matt receives my request positively.

AMPLIFIED LEICESTER: COMMUNITY DRIVEN SOCIAL IMPACT

Amy Sample-Ward

At Phoenix Square this morning, for the final fortnightly session in the current season of Amplified Leicester: "Community Driven Social Impact", led by Amy Sample-Ward.

In her biographical note, Amy describes herself as being "dedicated to supporting and educating organizations and changemakers in the use of evolving technologies that cultivate and engage communities. I am inspired by opportunities to catalyze community building and social action, online and offline, whether it’s through blogging, facilitating, training, or speaking. In 2009, I co-authored Social by Social, a handbook in using social technologies for social impact, and have had the great opportunity to contribute to additional publications about social media. I am the Global Community Development Manager for NetSquared, leading the strategy for our global Community both on and offline. I have worked in private philanthropy, advocacy nonprofit organizations, web design companies, and as a consultant."

This session focuses on strategies and case studies for creating successful community-driven media, events and campaigns. Participants learn about best practices and work in small groups to put learning into practice. This session include a presentation, discussion and small group scenarios. In our "small group scenario", we focus on four aspects of strategy. Below are the questions - and my answers to them, from the perspective of my own work.

1. Who is your community?
Faith communities (first and foremost, those represented on Leicester Council of Faiths; secondly, those faith communities who are not)
Wider "equalities" communities
City of Leicester at large
Fellow members/attendees at Amplified Leicester, CreativeCoffee Club etc
Other constituencies (education, mental health etc)

2. What do they want to do?
Improve/increase "community cohesion"
Promote good relations
Have their specific identity and contributions recognised, met and valued

3. Which tools would help?
Twitter
Facebook
Flickr
Constant Contact
Online maps
Blog
Foursquare

4. Which roles would help?
Key Contributors
Social Reporters
Community Manager
Tech Mentor

Amy gives me a complete set of the cards we used for this activity, which I'm sure will come in useful.

Toward the end of the session, Prof Sue Thomas fills us in on the format for Amplified Leicester when it returns in September. Rather than meet fortnightly on Wednesday mornings, we'll meet monthly on Wednesday evenings 1900-2000 (still at Phoenix Square, with the opportunity to socialise before and after). Each of these monthly meetings will be given over to a speaker or panel discussion. I've accepted Sue's offer to run a panel on Wednesday 23 March 2011, on "Amplified Communities of Faith and/or Belief".

Follow Amy Sample-Ward on Twitter: @amyrsward

Read Amy's blog: Amy Sample-Ward's version of NPTech