Issue 24 - October 2024

techUK joins forces with the Tech for Good Alliance

The Tech for Good Alliance has signed a strategic partnership agreement with techUK to advance the organisations' shared mission of using technology to create scalable social impact and prepare the UK for what comes next.

techUK is the UK's technology trade association, with around 1,000 member companies covering all sectors of the economy and society.

Through this partnership techUK and the Tech for Good alliance will work to support the development of a strong and vibrant tech for good ecosystem, bringing the resources of the tech industry to bear on the most pressing problems facing civil society.

At our launch event we were delighted to be joined by representatives from PwC, AND Digital, BJSS and Amazon as we each talked about our commitment to tech for good and the value of the collaborative ecosystem - you can watch the recording to hear their views.

PwC One Firm One Day - the difference a day can make

We are often asked what can you really achieve in one day? ... well, we know from experience that, if you prepare well and organise yourself effectively, the answer is “a great deal”.

This year' saw our second collaboration with PwC s One Firm One Day initiative and this year we went bigger and better than ever. The day saw more than 50 skilled volunteers work on three projects in three cities for three charities.

We had 'boots on the ground' at each location and the atmosphere  and energy across all three sites was fantastic. Not only that, all three teams delivered big time.

You can read Kirsty's blog here.

The value of Skilled Volunteering - a win, win, win

The Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales published a report in June 2024 that gave a comprehensive and powerful picture of the three-way benefits of skilled volunteering. 

In addition to the transformative impact that skilled volunteers can have in charities, it details how these programmes generate substantial and lasting benefit to the volunteers themselves and the organisations in which they work, supporting personal growth and fulfilment for the individuals and enhancing the talent strategies, brand value and business performance of the companies. 

Pitch-Perfect Solution to Honour a Young Bagpiper

The Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust was established in memory of Eilidh MacLeod, a talented young bagpiper whose legacy continues to inspire. 

Our mission was to revamp its outdated website, ensuring it could effectively support its initiatives in music education and grant applications.

Skilled volunteers led the project, creating a beautiful easily updatable site. This collaboration was a win-win, providing our volunteers with invaluable experience and contributing to a cause that fosters creativity and community spirit among young musicians.

Read the full story here.

The Tech for Good Alliance is now on LinkedIn

As more companies join and more projects are scoped, launched and delivered, the level of activity in the Tech for Good Alliance is scaling up significantly. To reflect this growth in activity and to provide a dedicated place to keep up to date with the work of the Alliance we have launched a Showcase page - follow the showcase page to make sure you are in the loop on all the latest developments..

Charity Digital Skills Survey

Charity Digital, (formerly the Tech Trust) recently reported on the key findings from the recent Charity Digital Skills survey which had more than 600 charity respondents.

Consistent with our own experience, the survey found that charities remain under increasing pressure - both in demand for their services and from a lack of funding. They are looking to technology to help them do more, but need to be more innovative in their approach and in many cases lack the skills internally to access the full potential of digital technologies.

You can read the article and download the report here.

Volunteer Returners Week

We hope that you saw on LinkedIn our recent celebration of the fact that we are seeing some of our most experienced volunteers coming back out of the reserves to get involved in projects with the Scottish Tech Army again. It was great to hear from them the reasons they wanted to volunteer again and how the flexibility of the way that we run projects makes it easy for them to make this commitment in a way that fits in with their other personal and work commitments. Their decision to step forward again is a reminder of the lasting impact we can all make together.

Click the images below to watch the videos or read the blog and if you fancy another tour of duty please do get in touch with us at team@scottishtecharmy.org.

Discover the Future of Digital and AI at Digital Leaders Week 2024

Digital Leaders Week, taking place on the 14th - 18th of October, is the UK’s national week promoting digital transformation across all sectors of the UK.

Now in its 7th year, DL Week will be a truly nationwide week of events online and in-person. Right across the UK from Monday to Friday there will be lectures, talks, conferences and awards.

Don’t miss out – book your place now!

We'd love to receive your feedback on our Network Effects newsletter and we encourage you to share it with anyone you think might be interested! 

If you received this indirectly and would like to subscribe to Network Effects,
please complete the form on our website.