Around the year 2000 the UK Government launched a programme to develop greater use of the internet.
A web-site was set up, www.ukonline.gov.uk. It was announced that, by the end of 2005, all government services would be made available on this site. This included central government, local government, and other departments.
At the same time, a second programme was set up. This was the UK Online Centres programme, intended to help people gain the skills needed to use the internet, in time for the launch date of the full new UK Online web service by late 2005.
A capital programme, of millions of pounds, was set up to supply equipment, building works and other resources to 'UK Online Centres'. Educational organisations, private firms and other bodies were invited to apply for funding, on condition that they offered a service to train people up to use the internet.
Many educators and community workers felt there were opportunities here. It would be possible to use the programme to help bridge the digital divide.
The reality
As you will find if you click on the link www.ukonline.gov.uk, the original plan has not gone ahead as intended.
What you will find is that you have been forwarded to a new site: www.directgov.gov.uk.
What about the UK Online Centres? The original site www.ufi.com/ukol still functions. It forwards to a new site at ???? where you can search for the 'UK Online Centre' nearest to you. For a start, however, many of these centres, for example public libraries, offer no training and support. Other centres only offer formal training courses, not informal support for casual users.
What next?
At least two of the Local Online partners in our original bid for capital funding have been providing a support service to people in the Oval and Stockwell area without any financial aid from the government.
So, Local Online has been providing, although in a limited way, the service for Oval and Stockwell which the original programme has been unable to give.
Watch this space for more updates...
25 Jul 2006