Lairg Writers Publish Online

In North West Sutherland, BT, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, High Life Highland,  and Citizens Online are working together to deliver the Get IT Together Programme, a community development approach to digital inclusion, helping people across the area to benefit from gaining on line skills.

A team of six writers based at Lairg Learning Centre have launched their very own blog, with support from Get IT Together - NW Sutherland. The writers have been attending basic IT sessions to find out how to share their work online. Although most of the learners attending the sessions use a computer, none of them had tried out blogging.

The group created a very basic site using the online site, blogger – because it most resembles the majority of basic word-processing packages- and learners share access and admin rights to the blog. The central idea, as well as reaching a wider online audience, is that in winter months, when driving becomes a challenge in bad weather, the writers can still share their work together and provide feedback.

Project Coordinator, Irene Warner-Mackintosh, commented: “We are thrilled to be helping these writers to get online and share their creative work with the wider public.”

The writer’s blog called Lairg Loonies can be viewed here.

Get IT Together in North West Sutherland is supported by BT’s Connected Society programme, BT’s commitment to help people right around the world gain the skills and confidence they need to join the online community and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and High Life Highland. 

Blog post by Irene Warner-Mackintosh

Our Digital Zone Hits the Ground Running

In North West Sutherland, BT, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, High Life Highland,  and Citizens Online are working together to deliver the Get IT Together Programme, a community development approach to digital inclusion, helping people across the area to benefit from gaining on line skills.

Our Digital Zone, a roadshow set up to help people in the Highlands and Islands make the most out of digital technology, is underway. To ensure maximum participation the project had a big publicity drive and secured the support of partners who spread the word through their networks. As a result, the first two events in Inverness, held at the Eastgate Centre and Kinmylies Church, were well attended by people interested in getting online.

Local community groups have been enthused by the roadshow and many are now offering classes for local learners, including Elgin Library in Moray who is running free IT taster sessions. 

Irene Warner-Mackintosh, Get IT Together Project Coordinator, commented: “We’re delighted that classes are starting immediately on the back of the roadshow. 

“Our Digital Zone provides a strong strategic platform that allows partnership working. We are already making cross referrals to colleagues within Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and The University of the Highlands and Islands, ensuring that individuals receive more cohesive digital participation support.”


Get IT Together in North West Sutherland is supported by BT’s Connected Society programme, BT’s commitment to help people right around the world gain the skills and confidence they need to join the online community and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and High Life Highland. 

Blog post by Irene Warner-Mackintosh

Guerilla Knitting: A Business is Born

In North West Sutherland, BT, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, High Life Highland, and Citizens Online are working together to deliver the Get IT Together Programme, a community development approach to digital inclusion, helping people across the area to benefit from gaining on line skills.

Citizens Online is currently a partner in the exciting project Our Digital Zone, a multi-agency roadshow travelling the Highlands and Islands to highlight the benefits of digital participation, helping people to get online for the first time, as well as supporting local communities to make the most of the internet.

As part of Our Digital Zone the team offered a session at Kinmylies Church in Inverness called ‘Guerilla Knitting’, hoping to draw in people with a passion for crafting and teach them about websites such as Ravelry and Etsy.

To this end, Project Coordinator Irene Warner-Mackintosh took a call from Lorna, who, when booking her place, stated that she hated the internet and computers, but knew she had to give it a go because she loved knitting. This was her reason for going online for the first time and she was interested to see what the internet had to offer. 

Lorna arrived at the session with a bag of beautiful knitted items- felted bags, gorgeous gloves and glamorous hats. She was partnered with digital champion Lizi Sutherland who showed her how to get online and use the internet effectively.  Lorna was very interested as she wants to start a business to sell her handmade products online. 

By the end of the session Lorna was enthused. To find out more about setting up her business she will be visiting the HIE Digital Team for social media support, and Business Gateway for business advice. Everyone is excited to see what happens next. 

Get IT Together in North West Sutherland is supported by BT’s Connected Society programme, BT’s commitment to help people right around the world gain the skills and confidence they need to join the online community and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and High Life Highland. 

Blog post by Irene Warner-Mackintosh