 An
Introduction To UC-Edinburgh
United Communities Edinburgh (UC-Edinburgh)
is a proposal for a combined training provision and community web
development project centred around a new online community
information, advice and news website - produced and maintained
by a team of disabled and socially isolated individuals working
through the UC-Edinburgh initiative to develop new skills with a
view to getting off incapacity benefits and obtaining full time employment.
The training supplied by UC-Edinburgh would aim to provide a
structure best suited to the individual client's needs and
abilities and would seek to install confidence and develop
communication skills in addition to the computer tuition
provided.
The UC-Edinburgh website would aim to assist in regeneration of
local communities by the provision of promotion and publicity
services for creative and community based events, projects,
services and organisations which currently receive little or no
support from traditional media resources.
Alongside promoting local community news and events,
UC-Edinburgh would seek to develop a range of new web based
initiatives aiming to provide a greater level of resident’s
participation in the online promotion of the city of Edinburgh.
The initiative combines the latest in digital technology with
traditional training methods and volunteer participation in an
innovative approach to dealing with training and work
provision for those on incapacity benefits. Whilst specifically
created with Edinburgh in mind – the basic concept could also be
applied and adapted to cover almost any region within the UK and
in particular those areas with high levels of unemployment and
social inclusion issues.
Prior to the official launch, the proposal document has been
circulated to a number of governmental and community agencies
with a view to obtaining advice, comment and support for further
development. The proposal is now been launched
for public consultation via the Edinburgh International Internet
Festival 2008. The intention being to encourage constructive
debate on the creation and development of back to work
programmes for the long term unemployed and in particular those
on incapacity benefits.
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