As well as providing business advice for business startups the Innovations Factory was set up with other projects in mind. It was hoped that this might help the local community and possibly provide jobs and training for local people. Funding for these projects comes from many sources such as the European Social Fund (ESF) and The New Opportunities Fund (NOF). Some of these projects are outlined below.
Desktop pub is an exciting new project that will document the traditions of some of the most historic pubs in Liverpool. We aim to involve the regulars and locals, in bringing the past alive through photo archives, oral histories and presentations in pubs around the city.
Dingle Renaissance is a new website-based community project, set up to encourage people who may have little or no experience of using PC’s, but who know the history of this area, to contribute a wealth of local knowledge and information that we can develop together, into an interactive multimedia website, while at the same time, teaching essential IT skills.
The Social Enterprise Action website: www.sea-online.org.uk was set up as a joint project of Innovations Factory and Mercom associates at the beginning of 2004. Its purpose is to help social enterprises Market their products and trade online. The website also offers a comprehensive and diverse directory to help social enterprises or anyone interested in social enterprise.
The Dingle online project www.dingleonline.org.uk was set up by Innovations Factory and Dingle Opportunities in 2001. The purpose was to make available a state-of-the-art IT facility for the local community, providing free Internet access and learning opportunities. The Dingle Online centre is located in the old Toxteth public house on the corner of Park street and Park Road. It was completely renovated and refurbished using local tradesmen. The entire building had to be stripped and redecorated, with extensive work taking place to restore the empty building.
Dingleonline staff are dedicated to equipping the community with the required IT skills to get online. providing free internet access and advice on how to use the computers for jobsearch, CV creation and more.
Access is available to a huge range of free online training courses, such as a Gardening course from the BBC, to practicing your driving test with the AA.
Also, the UK Online centre is available for community groups to use as a training facility - offering a network of modern PC's and an interactive whiteboard for the ideal learning environment. Dingle online also hope to offer a range of courses to improve the level of ICT skills in the area.
The ILM program was created to give local people entrepreneurial business skills and skills in other areas such as IT and website design. Most of those involved in the ILM program have found employment or gone on to higher education. Most of the ILM group were awarded recognised certification in website design before leaving the course.
The Innovations Factory is supported by
