[esocialaction] East of England FLOSS project for Voluntary and Community Sector

[Chris Bailey]

*_Press release_: ChangeUp Free and Open Source Project for the East of 
England VCS*


www.foss.ciac.org.uk


The East of England ChangeUp Free and Open Source Project aims at 
researching the viability of FOSS in the Voluntary and Community Sector 
(VCS), by providing Linux based computers, training and support, to ten 
organisations in the region.

This project is one of many ICT projects running under the auspice of 
the Cambridge Independent Advice Centre (CIAC) in the period November 
2005 – June 2006. The initiative is funded by the government ChangeUp 
Program, specifically aimed at improving the infrastructure in the 
Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), releasing resources and funds to 
increase frontline services.

The VCS organisations are to receive a top spec computer and printer, 
with many extras, loaded with a variety of FOSS programmes based on 
_Ubuntu/Linux <http://www.ubuntulinux.org/>_. They will also receive 
training materials and on site training from specialist trainers.

There is double benefit with this project: each of the participants 
receive a much needed resource (the computer hardware) and through this 
donation they can give a hands on experience feedback, as to the 
potential benefits of the use of FOSS in the sector.

If there are any Voluntary and Community Sector organisations who are 
interested and require further information on the projects running on 
Free and Open Source Software feel free to contact the project manager.

_Cambridge Independent Advice Centre <http://www.ciac.org.uk/>_ is 
offering advice and advocacy for people in receipt of low incomes, and 
providing services in the areas of welfare benefits, immigration, 
housing, debt and employment. Recently, CIAC got involved into ICT 
related projects, based on the promotion and use of Free and Open Source 
Software.

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is important for the development of 
the VCS in this region because of the freedom it gives to its users: to 
run, study, modify and redistribute the program for any purposes. This 
approach gives more choice to their ICT work and makes them more 
powerful without making them more dependent.

Contacts:
Project Manager: Paul Ruskin
Cambridgeshire VCS ICT Projects
Unit 8, E Space South, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4EX

Tel: 01353644027
Fax: 01353644001
Mobile: 07900184514
E-mail: _paul.ruskin at ciac.org.uk <mailto:paul.ruskin at ciac.org.uk>_

Training and Support: Christina Haralanova and Mathieu Lutfy
Mobile: 07722192468
E-mail: _foss-admin at ciac.org.uk <mailto:foss-admin at ciac.org.uk>

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