Hopefulness

Things to celebrate

We released Episode 2 of our MVP Tech4Good South West Podcast this week, so do take a listen to my conversation with Alicia Teagle reflecting on her passion for tech for good, recruitment and #Bristol!

Fabulous to be with techSPARK Third Thursday networking event last night announcing a joint venture for Tech4Good South West with the Bath Digital Festival this year (10-14th July). Massive thank you Lucy P. for bringing this to life.

There will be a strand of tech for good themed events running throughout the festival, and hopefully our new podcast LIVE! We welcome of course anyone to run a tech for good themed event, and we have ourselves some events in planning.

There are 5 core themes across the week already including a Digital Surgery event for charities to bring their questions and challenges, so anyone keen to be part of the day (Weds 12th July) or generally support Tech4Good South West in some way during the week please do get in touch. Welcoming ideas, volunteers and sponsorship!

Weekly reflection

This week we shared our blog about Dot Project Partnerships: How to build relationships, not temporary connections. I have learnt more than ever before in the last few years by working deeply with partners; observing, listening and finding ways to weave our work alongside others. This has always been so close to my heart, and it was absolutely at the heart of what we set out to achieve through Dot Project, to build an ecosystem of amazing humans and organisations to work with the sector, collectively driving digital skills and resilience for #charity organisations.

It has been a very different start to the year for Dot Project as Catherine Ainsworth & I enter into a phase of deeply reviewing the work we have achieved over our 7 years as co-founders. It is as much hard as it is affirming that what we set out to do in our very first plan-on-a-page, is what our organisation has manifested itself to be.

Managing grief and loss with hope

It has taken so long to reach this point of deeply knowing how to deliver work and bringing together the collective vision of what will bring the most impact. And yet we have also hit a time of external context that means there is so little digital funding available for charities, and for our work. Despite enquiries every week, most organisations have not yet been able to access core funding to embark on the digital journey they most need.

We ourselves have been able to thrive through a large percentage of our work on larger grant funded programmes, and yet this too seems to be much harder to come by and access over recent months. So this stage of reflective writing comes also with a sense of a loss. Loss at what would be possible and could be, if we were financially enabled to do so, and at a scale that could bring a breath of impact to charities who are a lifeline to millions.

My reality for the start of 2023 though, is real and true loss. My family have experienced considerable loss and grief over the last 3 years, and none more painful, heart-wrenching and impossible to understand than the loss of my nephew in recent weeks. This has been a deeply traumatic time, and one that will shape our lives forever.

There were lifelines, charities, support systems that could have been accessed, but in an increasingly complex digital existence the reality is we don't always know what is out there and how to seek support.

With the astonishing rising mental health crisis for so many of our young people, digital engagement and bringing awareness of services to our young people and online, is critical. I am therefore even more frustrated than ever that charities are not enabled with the skills, support and funding they need.

I can't not have hope that change will happen. Change and loss is inevitable. By talking openly, sharing successes but also the realities of life and work we bring more of a collective wisdom and the ability to navigate collectively.

What's coming up

9th March #BeMoreDigital Conference 2023, designed to support charities with skills and knowledge to implement digital tools and processes to help secure and sustain your charities future.? One not to miss if you are a charity, or interested in this sector. (*travel bursaries are available for charities)

Until next time x