What are our aims?
Clarborough & Welham IT Group has been actively promoting the use of computers in the community since 2003. In 2009, with support from Clarborough & Welham Parish Council and also Nottinghamshire County Council, we moved into Clarborough Village Hall and re-equipped with laptops.
Since its beginnings, the Group has provided easily accessible classes in a broad range of 'computing' skills (these days the terms IT or ICT are found attached to more academic courses - standing for Information Technology or Information and Communication Technology respectively). We prefer to keep it simple!
Having said that, the Group has considerable expertise in a wide range of areas; particular interests include the whole area of family and local history, photography and particularly editing of digital images. The Group also edits and publishes Clarborough & Welham Newsletter, a quarterly publication delivered free to every household in our community as well as a number of more widely distributed outlets, not least Retford Library and Bassetlaw Action Centre. Access to copies (in pdf format) of recent issues of the Newsletter is provided elsewhere on this site. Very recently, the Group has helped our wider community launch its own website (www.clarborough-welham.org.uk) and has added website development tuition to our programmes - see our Website development section for more details.
Classes all take place in Clarborough Village Hall, are economical and scheduled within school term-times to maximise access; they are grouped into five-week blocks and offered at a number of times to provide maximum access. Currently class times are:
Tuesdays 13:30 - 15:00
Wednesdays 10:00 - 11:30
Current classes are:
Tuesdays: Absolute Beginners. Val and Brian provided a relaxed, supportive and accessible start for all those who are completely new to 'computers'.
Wednesday mornings: this session is aimed at 'beyond beginners' but does not demand 'advanced skills'. Recent topics have included e-mail techniques including handling of attachments; use of spreadsheets for home and small group accounting and also digital camera image handling and editing.
The Group aims to teach 'transferable' skills - we do not just teach members how to use specific software packages, but rather aim to give wide experience so that members feel confident to experiment in new situations. We do, however, start simple and 'hold hands' until such time that members have the self-confidence to launch out on their own.