MEDIA RELEASE

Click C for Community

Released 10 June 2005

Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766

Innovative Community Project Helps Local Organisations Get Web Presence

Local communities will have greater access to information and resources as a result of the Websites That Click Project coordinated by Granville-based Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE).

Wargon and Burra Aboriginal Centre, Dundas Area Neighbourhood Centre, Fijian Youth Initiative of the Pacific Island Council and the Australian Council for Palestinians are the four organisations that will soon be able to go online as a result of the project.

Funded by Parramatta City Council and managed by ICE’s Community Information Technology Program, the project provides a professional web designer to work alongside worker from these organisations, to enable them to develop websites.

“I was amazed at how quickly I was given a solid grasp of the skills required to develop a basic website for my organisation,” said Joanne Dennis, Volunteer Coordinator Dundas Area Neighbourhood Centre.

The development of the Dundas Area Neighbourhood Centre website will assist in promoting the services this organisation offers it communities, including English classes, social and craft activities, an Op Shop, free bread, programs for mothers and their children and programs for young people.

“I am now keen to further develop my skills in this area so that I can make my website bigger and better” said Joanne who hopes to continue using the SWITCH Centre at ICE to update the site.

“Community organisations are stretched to the limit in providing services which they don’t always have the resources to promote. Websites can reduce their workloads by allowing people to access the information they need online,” said ICE’s Community IT Program Manager Liliana Ruti, who managed this project.

The Websites that Click project aimed at increasing the information technology literacy amongst community workers of non-government organisations in Parramatta. This project empowers small organisations to develop an on-line presence, learn new IT skills and promote their services in innovative ways.

The program was run from Switch Multimedia and Digital Arts Access Centre at ICE.

For more information please contact Liliana Ruti at ICE, 9897 5744 / communityinfo@ice.org.au

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: LILIANA RUTI: 9897 5744 (EXT 9)