In July 2007, Serco - Richmond Council's IT partners - offered 70 PCs and monitors to Richmond Council for Voluntary Service for recycling amongst the borough's Voluntary and Community Organisations (VCOs). These high spec machines all included flat screen monitors and operating software.
The range of organisations benefiting from the Free PC project is as diverse as you would expect from a borough with over 800 registered charity and community organisations - environmental groups, local community centres, faith groups, as well as those involved with health and social care, campaigning, support services, the arts, social and advice work.
The computer will make all the difference there is nothing more frustrating that trying to work with machines that are not up to the task, which has been our problem for the past year or so. A cheer went up when I walked in with the machine. ' Belinda Canosa, Manager, Integrated Neurological Services
So from today we have a sector with a significantly greater capacity to deliver services, with more staff and volunteers working simultaneously on PCs that run faster and do more - thanks to the generosity of Serco.
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RCVS could not have organised the management of this project during the last 8 months without the co-operation and assistance of key personnel:
From Serco: Gwen Howes, Client Account Manager, who started up the donation programme and Steve Toull, Senior technical engineer, who not only sourced the equipment but prepared it in batches to overcome RCVS's storage problems.
Volunteer support: We were lucky enough to recruit Malcolm Slumbers as an IT technician, to manage the project, install all the software, move kit around, arrange collections and visiting organisation to offer technical support.
Transport: BTCV lent us their van for the 6 trips to Twickenham to pick up the PCs and it was Colin Cooper, Richmond Environment Network Co-ordinator, who loaded up, drove and then unloaded each delivery.
What next?
All participating groups will be registered on the Charity Technology Exchange programme, entitling them to heavily subsidised donated software. All have also been directed towards local IT training, good value broadband deals and the Superhighways IT support project.
If you would like to know more about the project or find out more about RCVS, visit our website www.rcvsict.org.uk or call 020 8255 8500.
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