Neighbourly, a platform to support businesses making positive impacts, in collaboration with Microsoft and youth-focused non-profit OnSide, conducted an in-person training initiative across the UK to support over 150 charity representatives to gain essential digital skills.
The events, which took place in Youth Zones in Manchester, Carlisle, Croydon and Dagenham in June, brought together local community groups and charity representatives.
The goal was to raise awareness of the opportunities of AI, foster community engagement in AI and support staff to pass on their knowledge of AI to charity users through the ‘train-the-trainer’ model.
Each event was supported by a local business, facilitating the sessions alongside Microsoft and Neighbourly, who developed the training as part of the wider Ai123 initiative.
Launched in March, Ai123 was designed to address the growing gulf between charities and businesses in adoption of valuable AI tools.
These events came at a time when Neighbourly research revealed over half (58%) of small charities and community groups are not yet using AI.
“There can be a lot of noise around AI, with many people understandably feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about how to get started,” said Zoe Colosimo, chief operating officer at Neighbourly.
“Through these sessions, we are not only equipping charity employees with future-focused skills, we are also connecting them with a wider network who are also exploring the use of AI.
“Together, this creates a powerful force to share knowledge across communities and bridge the AI divide.”
During the events, attendees gained practical skills, with live demonstrations, examples of use cases applicable to the small charity sector, as well as support with ensuring ethical AI frameworks within their organisations.
Alsaint Nash is a director at Henrietta Media CIC, a community organisation using film, music, drama and storytelling to empower adults facing mental health challenges based in Croydon. Nash emphasised the power of AI for future opportunities.
“AI training opens new doors for our community work – from automating admin to creative storytelling tools,” she said. “It’s a chance to empower marginalised voices with tech that’s shaping the future.”
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