To start we were given group tasks to do, making a lorum ipsum generator. A website that allows you to generate different lengths of lorem ipsum (we based ours on fruit) with varying lengths. The task was divided equally allowing me to work on the java script elements of the page which put me outside my comfort zone but allowed me to develop more skills in that area.
As external challenges I was tasked with being a project manager and creating a document that was to be presented to people to show the skills of those I am working with along with how we will handle different projects and how we deal with certain scope.
I was also tasked to create a website using nothing more than HTML and CSS, this is proving difficult at the moment as I usually use a mixture of JavaScript and bootstrap elements to create the front end designs before moving onto the back-end. This task is forcing me to use different methods and research to get a similar outcome.
We were also given a WordPress website to use and gain experience using its functionality not only that but Canva and to join a Trello. Teaching me how to use different features and functions of already existing software to help my career and make things easier in the future by expanding my knowledge.
My first week here at the Village Web Company I wanted to find any data that would be useful to show and to represent the internet usage especially with elderly people. I have done research in the industry and would want to show this with using useful and simple infographics but also give a simple guidance for elderly people with using the Internet.
This should help with making sure that you are safe online but also making sure that you ask help if you don’t know how to do something but these the top 5 key things on how to keep safe online.
A large majority of 50-64 year olds (88%) and 65-74 year olds (75%) in England use the internet every day or almost every day, compared to under half (46%) of those aged 75+. Others use it less often, but among those aged 75+ more than two out of five (42%) do not use the internet.
A useful website that gives support for people who don’t know much on how to use the Internet would be using https://www.ageuk.org.uk/ as they give a lot of helpful and a lot of support to people with using the Internet and with other things.
This is a graph to represent the amount of people that have never used the Internet throughout the UK. The highest is Northern Ireland at 12.8%, Yorkshire/Humber at 10.2% and North East 10%. These are the top 3 areas where the popularity of people have never used the Internet.
I hope that what I have been discussing what useful and things to keep in mind.
June 22nd, 2023 by Claire - Village Web Company CIC
Village Web Company have been working with The Manchester College to offer work experience placements to students studying BTECs and T-Levels.
In June I welcomed four T-Level students who are working here at our shop in Romiley village. They are in their final few weeks of study and will all be starting their careers in various parts of the tech industry.
Usually I focus on teaching people how to do a particular thing or helping them with basic digital skills, these placements are very different. None of my current student team need help using a computer, but working in digital is about more than just writing code and that’s why they’re here. They are getting experience of working in a real business and I get to make the most of their amazing skills by working with them on web development and data projects that will make a lasting difference to my little social enterprise. We will also be running a digital drop in event where they will help me support members of the local community who need help doing things online.
During their time here the team will be contributing to our GitHub and writing regular blog posts about their experiences and the work they’ve been doing.
Hi, my name is Zhong. I’ve been in Village Web Company for 1 week. During this work experience, I’ve mainly done stuff about web development. The first, we had a guide tour about the company where Claire showed to use her shops. Also, I’ve started to familiarize with WordPress which I’ve never used before. Then, I’ve improved the Claire’s shop website and I’ve created a few website template.
All my works were upload on GitHub which can be seen in the following link: https://github.com/VillageWebCompanyCIC/.
There a few image of websites that I’ve developed.
I’m a college computer science student who has been doing a digital marketing placement at the village web company, I have been able to experience a work environment that has been filled with challenges which were all a part of the training. I have been able to experience handling a company’s social media promotion by creating content and developing the appropriate marketing strategy. My skills were falling short of being used in a workplace so after this opportunity I have been given the chance to utilize my knowledge while also learning new things that I can use within any job in the future. Other than building skills to use in my career, my soft skills have also improved with everyday tasks and communication. The full extent of my responsibilities included handling the company’s promotion as well as making minor changes to the website such as adding new products. I have gained useful knowledge about how a business is ran as well as the responsibilities that come with maintaining it, this experience has opened my eyes to the challenges that businesses face, not just within their operations but day to day issues that can escalate. In Conclusion, I have really enjoyed my time working in the village web company, the CEO communicates tasks clearly and is a pleasure to talk to, as well as this the tasks I was given made me feel more confident in my capabilities. I hope that others can have the same experience in the future.
February 20th, 2023 by Claire - Village Web Company CIC
Here at Village Web Company the main things on sale are websites and training courses, but in the very near future you will also be able to buy digital themed gifts.
I love all things digital so the new ranges will all have a connection to computers, mobile phones or computer games. Some of the products will be functional such as phone chargers and cases, whilst others might feature your favourite game characters.
As with our web services, anything you buy from Village Web Company helps to fight digital exclusion. As a Community Interest Company (CIC) all profits are used to offer free workshops and activities to help people learn digital skills.
Claire
Posted in Fundraising | Comments Off on Time To Go Shopping
Recently we used GitHub to have a space for a plugin to be stored and edited no matter where we were for convenience.
This plugin is called “Hello Worthy” and is an adaptation of the popular plugin “Hello Dolly” featuring song lyrics displayed on the hub of WordPress.
Personally I used GitHub whilst working at home to have the ability to take a copy of the current files and have my own separate version to edit and change. The changes I made were just adjusting the words that displayed on screen to web tips.
Once I was finished with my adjustment of the content I created a “pull request” meaning I could ask to have my version merged in with the one I “forked” (copied) it from.
August 1st, 2022 by Claire - Village Web Company CIC
Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday – you could be raising free donations for Village Web Company CIC with easyfundraising?
There are over 6,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation – including eBay, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S – and it won’t cost you a penny extra to help us raise funds.
I have had the pleasure of doing my work experience at Village Web Company for 4 days from the 18th of July to the 21st of July working as a Digital Marketing Assistant. On the first day, I was introduced to the general gist of what Village Web Company did as a business, which is web design services and training courses. I was taught the different software’s that were used at the business and the ways that they built the websites. I was also shown the business’ Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts.
The next day, I was handed over the accounts, and shown two websites that I could use to create digital marketing materials. One website was Canva, which is a simple to use designing website which I could use for free to create designs to be put on social media. I was also shown a site called Hootsuite which allows you to attach social media accounts and schedule posts for later times.
Originally, I began going through all the different sites that Village Web Company had built in the past and getting examples of the different skills that you can purchase off the company, but I changed to doing something else when I was handed the social media accounts.
I took a picture of the front of the shop and began using it to make a design that would advertise to the socials exactly what the business did and what you could purchase from them, and a link to the website so that they could find out more. I then created more posts that could be scheduled for later such as ones that individually advertised the websites, the training courses and how to contact the company. I also created posts that included quotes about tech from famous people in technology, and random fun tech facts, in the hopes that these posts would gain traction on the socials and gain more likes and follows so that the advertisements would get more people seeing them. I then used Hootsuite to schedule these posts on the different socials. I was also taught about hashtags and how to use them correctly to keep track of what had been posted and get more people seeing it using the appropriate and relevant hashtags.
The next day, I was shown how to use contrast checkers and alternate text to allow more accessibility onto the posts, for example those who had a lack of sight. I then created some more designs using Canva and scheduled some more posts throughout the day that advertised the business. Later in the day, an older woman with a lack of sight called Shirley came in with a Huawei tablet that wasn’t working very well, and I got to see how Claire would help people with their technology for free and teach them everything they need to know in the event of this happening again. I then created some questions that I could use to interview the team at Village Web Company.
Then, on my last day, I began by scheduling some more posts that I had created the previous day. I then did a photoshoot with a member of the team called Declan to take pictures of the shop to create an advertisement for the website and socials about being able to rent the shop to use for meetings. I turned these pictures into advertisements and scheduled them to go out later on the socials. I then received Declan and Claire’s answers to my Meet the Team questions and made them into a PDF on Canva for Claire to use as an advertisement in the future, or to display on the Village Web Company website.
That concludes my work experience at Village Web Company, I had fun and learned a lot about the world of work.
Recently I attended a digital champions online meeting to receive a bit of training around the topic of digital exclusion.
Digital exclusion is where a section of the population have continuing unequal access and capacity to use Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) that are essential to fully participate in society.
During the meeting I was made aware of the methods behind making sure everyone from all backgrounds and ability are able to access and use anything digital in whatever way they need to.
There’s many reasons why people may potentially be digitally excluded ranging from having no previous experience using digital devices, no person to mentor and guide them, embarrassment, fear, lack of funds to buy a digital device in the first place or maybe they don’t know where to get a device from a safe and reputable place.
The variables as to why are endless.
Digital champions are approachable individuals who can share enthusiasm and knowledge of digital with colleagues and service users in an easy to understand way.
One of the reasons why I attended the meeting with digital champions is because here at VillageWebCompany a variety of people with different levels of skill regarding digital come into the shop for advice and help. That is one of the many things we are proud to do when given the opportunity. The training helped to make sure I was giving the correct feedback to people who feel excluded and taking the correct approach to each situation.
