The Wheel is delivering our “Digital Transformation for Thriving Communities” project over a 6-month period that started in May and will run until early November. The project is generously funded by the European Citizen Action Service, a Brussels-based nonprofit organisation that defends EU rights and promotes digital democracy and open decision-making in the EU. By bridging digital divides and empowering Irish civil society, the project aims to foster a more inclusive and digitally adept society, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital transformation journey. ”Digital Transformation for Thriving Communities” is comprised of a social media campaign and a three-part online event series looking at the digital inclusion landscape in Ireland’s community and voluntary sector.
The first two events in our three-part series were called “Driving Digital Inclusion in Your Community” and took place on held on 16 October and 23 October. The aim of both events was to conduct a consultation with representatives from Irish community & voluntary organisations to understand the digital landscape and identify gaps in skills and resources for the sector.
Each session followed the same format but featured different guest speakers.
Following a brief welcome, participants joined small break out groups for a consultation moderated by facilitators. The consultation aimed to collect feedback on the challenges and opportunities organisations face in digitalising their services. These insights were set to inform the Digital Transformation& the Sector event and related report. Discussions focused on four key questions. All answers were captured using a shared Padlet board:
A panel discussion followed, featuring speakers who shared insights and practical advice:
Brendan Mulry, Irish Rural Link (16 October) and Gemma Leo, Crann Centre (23 October) Brendan and Gemma highlighted Irish Rural Link and the Crann Centre’s respective experiences in delivering digital inclusion projects, discussing both challenges and opportunities they encountered as a civil society organisation.
Caitriona Whelan, National Adult Literacy Agency (attended both events) Emphasised the importance of digital inclusion for Ireland’s civil society sector and shared accessibility tools and resources available to civil society organisations.
Mark Guerin, Léargas (16 October) and Jemma Lee, Léargas (23 October): As representatives from the Irish National Agency for the Erasmus+ programme, Mark and Jemma provided an EU perspective on digital transformation, outlining funding opportunities within Erasmus+ to support civil society digitalisation initiatives.
After a Q&A session with the panellists, Elizabeth Kelly, Deputy CEO of Enclude, presented a practical Roadmap to Digitalisation, offering actionable steps for organisations to digitise their operations, equipping attendees with tools and inspiration to champion digital inclusion in their communities. Both events were recorded, and all registered participants received follow-up emailswith the recording and resources shared during the event.
