Links - who else is supporting UK online?

These are links to some of the most important initiatives to be aware of. Each site has its own links to a range of useful resources and information:

UK online is a government drive to ensure that everyone in the UK who wants it will have access to the Internet, and to make the UK one of the world's leading knowledge economies. The initiative is now known as Directgov. Ufi now manage UK online centres. There is a database of centres at www.ufi.com/ukol.

Learndirect is the brand name of the University for Industry (UfI). Visit Learndirect to find out about courses, where your local centre is, and to sign up for courses.

The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) site supplies - among many other things - information, advice and news about using ICTs, particularly for Adult and Community Learning.

The Help is at Hand site is directed at UK online centre staff and managers.

Partnerships Online is continuing work started by Making the Net Work, a joint UK-US initiative led by David Wilcox, Drew Mackie and Terry Grunwald aiming to help those using new technologies for community benefit.

Networks Online is a 'network of networks' providing and linking intranets and extranets in the voluntary, public and private sectors. Networks Online is supported and promoted by ruralnet|uk.

If you are a rural voluntary group or organisation, you can sign up for free training in using ruralnet|online (part of the Networks Online group of extranets).

The National Centre for Volunteering offers advice and resources on volunteering.

Local programmes and associated funding (where available) are run through your Learning and Skills Council.

National Grid for Learning provides information on networks linking schools, libraries and communities and how to get funding for a grid.

NIACE - National Organisation for Adult Learning offers news, events, reports, ideas and policy from the leading non-government organisation for adult learning.

Also worth visiting is the Lifelong Learning website - a site for the encouragement, promotion and development of lifelong learning, supported by the Individual Learning Division of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). The site contains news, reports, conferences, and some funding announcements.

The Big Lottery Fund (previously known as New Opportunities Fund) gives information on one of five strands of the National Lottery programme, and on funding available.

governmentfunding.org.uk is a Government website that provides information on the grants available to the Voluntary and Community Sector from five Government Departments.

The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) aims to support the 88 most deprived local authorities. These could be important local networks for UK online centres to work with.

BBC Web Wise Initiative offers a ten hour online course to use with learners, in addition to other free material available to registered partner centres.