Festive wishes

We would like to wish You all a Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Altogether Better Kirklees - Digital Photography Session

Course: Digital Photography
Duration: 3 hours
Cost: Free
Date: Thursday 9th February 2012
Time: 10am-1pm
Address: Paddock Community Trust, Paddock Learning Centre,
Paddock Village Hall, West View, Paddock, Huddersfield HD1 4TX
Tea and coffee will be provided.

Learn how to use your digital camera and how the computer can help you organise your images.
The course will cover:

• Basic tips on getting your pictures right
• Uploading images to your computer from the camera and organising your work
• Understanding the different functions on your digital camera
• How to find and use free software to help you edit your photos
• Sources of further help in your photography

This is a free course aimed at volunteers of community groups/organisations that work with adults and would like to become voluntary Community Health Champions as part of the Altogether Better Project.

If you would like to attend this FREE course please contact Gill Mallinson at Altogether Better Kirklees.
Tel: 01484 225103
Email: gillian.mallinson@kirklees.gov.uk

Altogether Better Kirklees - Learning with Technology sessions

Course: Learning with Technology
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: Free
Date: January to June
Various locations in Kirklees

Altogether Better Kirklees is a Lottery funded project aimed at creating new healthy living activities and opportunities for adults across Kirklees.
The project aims to recruit and train voluntary Community Health Champions who would like to expand their own knowledge and skills while involving others in new healthy living activities.

What is Learning with Technology?
Finding out more about applications and programmes available to you with computers, internet, email and mobile phones and coming soon kindles. The training sessions has been developed in partnership with Paddock Community Trust and its innovative IT Buddies Project.
Come along to a free taster session in IT and try something new!

One to one support on:

• internet access
• computer safety
• computer basics
• question and answer session
• information, advice and guidance on computing

Further information on Learning with Technology

• Introducing Technology Session: a selection of devices which can enable you to get on the internet
• Using Email: advice on how to set up and use an email account
• Meet Your Laptop Session: find out the hidden secrets of your laptop
• Going Online: help with contacting your council online, doing online banking, start home shopping at supermarkets and more
• Meet Your Mobile Phone Session: help with your mobile phone
• Social Media Session: sharing can be good, so allow us to show you how it's done
• Favourite Session: let us show you the ways we use technology to deliver learning, sharing and fun.

This is a free course aimed at volunteers of community groups/organisations that work with adults and would like to become voluntary Community Health Champions as part of the Altogether Better Project.
We'll be visiting a variety of locations in Kirklees, please contact us to find out your nearest venue and to book a place at our sessions.

Venues and course dates:

• Kirkburton Hub: 24 January, 21 February, 20 March 2012: 11.30am-1.30pm
• Great Northern Street: 31 January, 28 February, 27 March 2012: 11am-1.00pm
• Longwood Mechanics Village Hall: 17 January, 13 March 2012: 12noon-2.00pm

If you would like to attend this FREE course please contact Gill Mallinson at Altogether Better Kirklees. Please note booking is essential to reserve your place.
Tel: 01484 225103
Email: gillian.mallinson@kirklees.gov.uk

New member joined the team at Paddock Learning Centre

We are delighted to announce that Yvonne Gilbert has joined our team at Paddock Learning Centre who has been employed as a Skills for Life Tutor by Paddock Community Trust.
Yvonne's previous experience includes the role of Training Manager at a media training company within the Kirklees area. In addition she has delivered training programmes both to companies and individuals from the retail sector, specialising in the delivery of Customer Service, Mentoring and Management Training.
Yvonne is a qualified teacher and Life Skills Coach, currently studying for a level 5 in Teaching Literacy in the Life Long Learning Sector. She holds Approved Internal Verification Status with the Open College network.
Welcome on board, Yvonne!

PC Technician Course starting soon

We have a new course on offer at Paddock Learning Centre:

• PC Technician Level 1 course (Optimising an IT system): starting on 11th January
  

This course is free for anyone not working and with a qualification below Level 2.

If you know somebody who might be interested or you would like to attend this course please ring 01484 431400 to book a place.

Last week the d shop in Dewsbury had a quick visit from Emma, the project worker from the GMB@WORK, to see how we were getting on with the laptops they supplied us with a couple of weeks ago. And she was very happy to see them being used by a full house of users. We also use them for some of our outreach work, so they are a valuable addition to our learning resources. If you want any more information about the GMB please visit their website at http://www.gmb.org.uk.
If you want to learn about computers and what they can do for you, please come and visit our drop in at the d shop 24 Longcauseway, Dewsbury on a Wednesday 10:00 til 15:00. Dave will be pleased to see you.

Paddock Community Trust Christmas Fair

We are organising a Christmas Market this year again at Paddock Village Hall.

It will be held on Saturday, December 3^rd 10am-3pm.

The entry is £1 under 15s free.

Treat yourself to a variety of delicious cakes, bring the kids to meet Father Christmas and make some nice crafts or buy some unique Christmas cards and gifts.

Stalls available free! If you would like to have a stall please ring 01484 431400.

New courses on offer at Paddock Learning Centre

We have 2 new courses on offer at Paddock Learning Centre:

• Customer Service Skills Level 1 course: starting on 24th November
• PC Technician Level 1 course (Optimising an IT system): starting at the end of November.

These courses are free for anyone not working and with a qualification below Level 2.

If you know anybody who might be interested or you would like to attend these courses please ring 01484 431400 to book a place.

Get Online part 2

The well advertised promotion, Get Online week, has now ended and "Give an hour" has already had over 9,000 hours pledged! Did you do your bit? If not, don't worry. Call us or visit us at Paddock Village Hall, the d-shop in Dewsbury or the Lodge at Batley and see what the Internet and the online world has to offer you.

Visit http://www.go-on.co.uk/ for more details.

Get online week

Get online week runs from Monday the 31^st of October ‘till Sunday the 6^th of November, this time encouraging us all to “Give an hour” and to steal a quote directly from http://www.go-on.co.uk/ “Could you give an hour of your time to help someone get online?” This is being run in conjunction with the BBC, uk Online centres and Race Online 2012 and is being widely discussed on Breakfast news.

Paddock Community Campus is supporting this with our drop-ins at Paddock Village Hall and the D shop in Dewsbury. Paddock is Thursday morning, 9.30 till 12.30 and Friday 9.30 till 15.30 and the D shop is Tuesday and Wednesday 10.00 till 15.00 where we can help you to get online, search the Internet and learn new skills!

If you are interested please call or drop in and there may be cake!

Union donation

GMB Union donated 6 laptops for the D-Shop (Dewsbury)

The GMB Union kindly donated 6 laptops to promote adult digital inclusion at the D-Shop in Dewsbury. The laptops were donated through the GMB’s Learning and Organising Together Project, which encourages people back into learning, to gain new skills and qualification.

Extended opening hours to give you more opportunity to “Get Online” during the UK Online Get Online Week at the D-Shop (Dewsbury) 31 October-4 November

Come along and try some of the “Go on” courses to learn more about using a computer and the Internet.

Closer to people, places and potential

Community Outreach and IT Buddies work

I.T. Buddies are travelling throughout Kirklees to bring people, communities and technology closer together. We'll be providing access to the "Go on" range of online courses for those who wish to learn the basics, which should provide all you need to know to start bringing the online world into yours. For those who already have some experience of technology we'll be hoping to answer your questions about your own computer, email, phone or whatever it is that is presently puzzling you. We're working with adults of all ages, each with their own unique life experiences and hopes for technology, why don't you join us and see if we can help you get closer to people, places and potential.

You can find us:

• at Spring Valley Community Centre in Liversedge every Tuesday 12.00-5.00pm

• at The D Shop in the centre of Dewsbury every Wednesday 10am-3pm

• Thursday is our touring day, we will be touring Kirklees and visiting libraries, village halls, community centres and more, all in order to bring opportunities to people throughout the region. Please watch our blog and twitter-feed for further information about where we'll be on which Thursday.

• Finally you can come to Paddock Village Hall on a Thursday 9.30am-12.30pm or on a Friday 9.30am-3.30pm.