Zaheer Ahmad - Cybonetics
Kanmi Alo - Interlink
Danny Budzak - LBN - Database editor
Rik Lewis - LBN - Consultant & ELLVTR
John Lock - University of East London, Thames Gateway Technology Centre
Jacqui Mace - NewVIC
Chris McLean - Newham College of Further Education
Michael Mulquin - Newham Online Chair/UKCommunities Online
Lou O'Connell - Net and Beyond
Gavin Sealey - Newham Young People Online/Newham Youth Services
Richard Steel - LBN IT
Richard Stubbs - Newham Online Co-ordinator/UK Citizens Online/CH&CTCRP
Paul Whiteman - LBN Education

Stephen Kelly - ELLV Teleregion
David Fitzpatrick - Computer Access/ELLV Teleregion
Chris Leigh - NewTec

The minutes of the meeting of 8^th. February had been circulated and were agreed.

Re Item 4a - The UK Internet Gateway project was progressing and was intending to base its operation in St. Luke's Centre in Canning Town.

Martyn Laycock reported on an initiative to establish 40 IT Centres of Excellence by the end of the year. Stephen Timms is very keen to support a bid for one of these Centres to be based in Newham. These Centres will form part of the infrastructure for the new University for Industry. The placing of the Centres will depend on local needs and the ability of local partners to create innovative and imaginative bids. Stephen had written to Susan Fey at Letec with copies to Newham College of further Ed., East London Advanced Technology Training and UEL. The UEL and College of North East London were collaborating with the BBC with respect to the University for Industry.

Agreed that Richard Stubbs should contact Stephen Timms on behalf of the Newham Online partnership to express its interest in helping co-ordinating a bid for the Centre to be based in Newham.

Martyn mentioned that there were good free training courses available from the University of Wolverhampton at www.broadnet.co.uk.

Richard Steel said that the successful Stratford SRB included £0.5 million for networking. It was agreed that Richard Stubbs should approach Mark Lester or Phil Morris to ask that details be put online. The proposed Education Action Zone will also have a considerable IT element.

Richard Steel was nominated as Vice Chair of Newham Online and was elected.

Michael Mulquin outlined the work of the Steering Group since the last meeting. It had started work on draft policies in respect of membership, resources, representation and promotion. The latter was being recommended to today's meeting but the rest needed further work. The Steering Group was recommending that the Board focus on information exchange and making decisions on key matters identified by the steering Group accordingly it proposed that the Steering Group should be given responsibility for proposing strategy, objectives and projects to the Board. This built on its existing responsibility for organisational development. This proposal was agreed.

The Steering Group had also considered the issue of Newham Online becoming an ISP and Independent Service Provider but these recommendations would be considered after Richard Stubbs' presentation.

In the discussion that followed the following points were made: -

We need to build on local talent and support people to become multimedia publishers

There would be a whole range of ways by which net based content may enter the home including telephony, TV and radio and each medium already has its own publishers and distribution chain. We need to be aware of this larger environment and range of interests.

It was agreed in principle that Newham Online should seek to become an Internet Service Provider and Independent Service Provider and that its aims in doing this should be:-

1. To develop a broad band based extranet (virtual private network) that will support information provision, communication, collaboration and commerce.
2. To provide access that is free at the point of use to its broadband network to local people in their homes, workplace and public spaces in order to achieve maximum participation.
3. To develop online services based on the network so as to make profits that can be used to enhance the local communications infrastructure and to promote the take up of information and communication technologies by local businesses and residents.

The Steering Group was empowered to take this decision forward through further investigation of the practicalities and negotiation with key players.

Gavin Sealey gave a presentation based on the web site at www.youth.newham.org.uk he was doing most of the work of maintaining this in his own time and the only input to the site was from him and the young people.

Gavin was keen to build up the interactive aspect of the site and intended to develop user feedback, publishing, sharing of ideas, peer group support and offline events. Any renaissance in Newham would be led by the young and it was important to foster communication, community and diversity.

Online access remains a key problem. In the NW there were two online computers at Little Ilford Youth Club, in the North East there was the Net and Beyond but there was nothing in the South. It was suggested that the Beckton Library might provide access.

John Lock said that if students were to be asked to assist it was essential to specify in detail what as required as otherwise it puts the work on to university staff to design the work programme and they simply wont have time to do it. Agreed that Gavin should post some initial ideas of what help was needed online and that we would try and work them up into a work specification that could be used as the basis of a student project.

Lou O'Connell presented the Steering Group's proposals for the promotion of Newham Online.

In the discussion that followed the following points were made: -

We need a CV of Newham Online setting out what we can do.

We need two sentances that encapsulate what we are about.

We should maintain a profile in national networks.

We should maintain a list of our "firsts" and our best achievements.

The paper and its recommendations were agreed excepting that we should open up the process of logo design to include NewVic the College as well as the Council. Danny agreed to work on a brief that could be used to guide the work of the designers.

Martyn Laycock agreed to locate people within UEL who may be able to assist with the marketing and promotion strategy.

Agreed that Richard Stubbs, John Lock and Michael Mulquin should meet to discuss underlying philosophy of our approach.

Agreed to make the 9^th of July meeting something of an event. The UEL conference centre was booked and Steve Timms should be invited. Hopefully we will have something positive to announce with respect to the ERDF bid and GPT's involvement.

Notes of meeting by Richard Stubbs(richard.stubbs@newham.org.uk)