Clarion Futures are one of our oldest clients. In fact they were instrumental in setting up the Digital Champions Network. It started when some DU tutors went to help residents in a sheltered housing scheme. The residents were so enthused that they wanted to help others with digital skills. After some training, they began to run teaching sessions themselves. It was the start of a cascade learning model that's been helped 1000s of learners ever since.
That was in 2012, and over the last 13 years, we've collaborated in a partnership that's seen our relationship evolve and Clarion's commitment grow and grow. When we passed the decade mark, we talked to them about how to keep a long running programme going and about what works - and crucially what doesn't.
We've also learnt from the experience of Clarion Champions, who feature in many of our Champions stories and who've shared their expertise, like this from Brian and Linda on how to run successful digital drop-in sessions.
It's fascinating getting insights from people who've been committed volunteers for so long. In 2012, we might have all assumed that digital exclusion was an issue with an end, and that sooner or later we would all more or less "get digital". But as Linda explains, her experience of a decade of drop-ins is that the problems are getting more complicated not less, as Champions need to help people with a huge range of tools and devices, interwoven ever more closely in their lives.
