FAQs

1. Who are Media Trust?
   
2. What is Community Voices?
   
3. Why was Community Voices set up?
   
4. Is this all about getting people online?
   
5. Is this another top-down Government programme?
   
6. What funding support are communities getting from Community Voices?
   
7. What other support is available, aside from funding?
   
8. When is it all happening and what are the key timelines?
   
9. What about those communities that don’t have a computer / internet access?
   
10. How do digital media professionals get involved?
    
11. How can my organisation link up with Media Trust  and Community Voices to support communities?
    
12. I have other questions – how can I get in contact?
    
13. How many projects are being funded and how much are the grants?
    
14. What kind of things are you funding as a grassroots community project?
    
15. What are the Inspiring Voices Awards?

About Community Voices

1 Who are Media Trust?

Media Trust is a national charity that believes everyone should have a voice and the opportunity to be heard. We work with media organisations and charities to enhance their communications and enable communities to find their voice. We own and run Community Channel, the UK's only national channel to be run by a charity. Our corporate members include BBC, Channel 4, Daily Mail and General Trust, Disney Channel UK, Guardian Media Group, IPC Media, MTV Networks UK & Ireland, News International, Newsquest Media Group, OMD, Sky, Virgin Media TV and Warner Bros.

For more information about Media Trust, visit us at: www.mediatrust.org.

2 What is Community Voices?

Community Voices is an England-wide programme funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (formerly DIUS) and delivered by Media Trust. It aims to engage and empower communities who feel disadvantaged or isolated with the inspiration, confidence, skills, and access to resources and funding to help them find their voice and make it heard, using digital media.

3 Why was Community Voices set up?

Our primary objective is to engage and equip those citizens who feel ‘unheard’ or ‘voiceless’ with the tools to express and exchange views on issues of relevance to them, developing individual and community empowerment in line with the aims of the ‘Communities in Control’ whitepaper.  Community Voices is as much, if not more, about community engagement as it is about the technology.
The initiative will also contribute to the Government’s cross-departmental goal of ensuring the benefits of technology reach all members of society.  It will also enhance the opportunites to make better use of existing public services and assist people into employment, particularly the creative industries.

Through Community Voices, Media Trust, the Government and our partners will be able to gain and share a better understanding of whether it’s feasible and appropriate to develop a national network of digital mentors.

4 Is this all about getting people online?

No. If more people get online as a result of Community Voices, that's great. But digital media is as much about offline technology and skills, as long as it helps communities to express and exchange their views, and feel better engaged.

There are several existing programmes that focus primarily on helping people to get online.  If you are interested in learning more about these, please contact us.  You can also find out more about getting online by talking to your local UK Online Centre.

5 Is this another top-down Government programme?

No! The Community Voices programme is about communities using digital media projects as unique as they are. It's about communities identifying what they want to do. We'll make sure they have the support and the tools to achieve their goals.

6 What funding support are communities getting from Community Voices?

Media Trust has made available funding for 26 selected community projects, who will also benefit from face-to-face training and digital mentor support.  Funded projects will be Community Voices beacons, showcasing the benefits of digital mentoring, digital media support and collaboration with partners, and we hope that they will also inspire other communities to make a difference.

7 What other support is available, aside from funding?

Community Voices offers access to free support services from digital mentors to all communities and organisations, whether they have been selected for funding or not.  This includes:

• free tips and resources on getting started with, and making the most of, digital media
• free communications support
• subsidised access to professional marketing, communications and digital communications training, specifically designed for communities and third sector organizations.

For more information on the wealth of free and subsidised support from Media Trust that you can benefit from please contact Media Trust, or visit our web-pages.

8 When is it all happening and what are the key timelines?

Grant applications are now closed.  The 26 selected community projects will be notified individually and each project will run until March 2011.

9 What about those communities that don’t have a computer / Internet access?

We do understand that there are many people who face difficulties with accessing computers and the internet.  Some people have little or no access to technology, other people have access but need help with using technology. There are many organisations focused specifically on helping you with these problems.  For example, you can talk to UK Online Centres for advice on what services are most local to you.

10 How do digital media professionals get involved?

Community Voices is about connecting digital mentors with communities in need.  If you or your organisation have digital media skills and would like to get involved with helping communities, you can find out more on our Media Trust site and we can talk to you about the many ways in which your skills could be valuable.
 
11 How can my organisation link up with Media Trust and Community Voices to support communities?

We want to hear from you!

Contact us to discuss partnership opportunities with Media Trust and Community Voices.  These opportunities could include links with your CSR programme, or partnership with your current work with disadvantaged and isolated communities, or with current or planned initiatives relating to digital media or digital participation.

12 I have other questions – how can I get in contact?

Go to the contact us page.

Grants and Awards

13 How many projects are being funded and how much are the grants?

We are funding 26 grassroots community projects according to three different levels of funding: £1,500 (10 grants),  £7,000 (10 grants), £14,000 (six grants).

14 What kind of things are you funding as a grassroots community project?

Examples of grassroots community projects that we may fund include:

• Projects already using digital media to develop their work with a specific community (perhaps a library with an online access programme looking to work with an identified deprived or isolated community)
• More formal community organisations looking to develop digital media to engender community voice and cohesion (perhaps a carers' trust looking to use digital media to support isolated informal carers in their homes)
• More informal communities looking to embrace digital media (perhaps a residents' or tenants' association in a deprived community looking to use digital media as a mechanism to bring residents together)

For ideas on some of the types of project that we have identified as inspiring, have a look at the Inspiring Voices award winners.

15 What are the Inspiring Voices Awards?

To celebrate the varied and inspiring ways you are already using digital media to help empower disadvantaged communities, Community Voices has awarded £500 to a number of different community groups.

Successful projects have received offers of a bursary for a place at one of our training events, and a wealth of additional communications support.

Get more information on and see the Inspiring Voices awards