Carpenters Connect Launch Party

PRESS RELEASE

A UNIQUE COMMUNITY PROJECT BEGINS

Launch party for Carpenters Connect in Newham

Carpenters Connect, the community based interactive TV project on the Carpenters Estate in Newham, East London, is to be officially launched on Thursday 14 November. The launch, which takes the form of a party for residents and guests, will be held at the Carpenters and Docklands Centre on the Estate from 6.00 to 8.30 in the evening.

Carpenters Connect is one of seven projects around the UK, which form part of the Department for Education and Skills’ (DfES) “Wired-Up Communities” initiative. It is unique, however, in that it is the only one of the seven that uses interactive TV. The project is led by Newham Council, with the support of a wide range of public and private sector partners. A full list of partners is provided at the end of this release.

Carpenters Connect provides residents with access to a range of free entertainment and information services, including internet, email, estate website and videos as well as a unique PC on your TV, through a set top box linked to the television in peoples’ homes. The boxes will be installed over the coming weeks: approximately 1,600 residents are expected to participate in the project.

The launch party is an opportunity for residents to find out more about the project and see it being demonstrated. They will also be invited to try it out for themselves and to sign up for one of the set top boxes. The Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales; Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); and various partner representatives will also be present.

In the words of Tee Fabikun, Chair of the Carpenters Estate Tenant Management Organisation: "Carpenters Connect is like a dream come true for us. Apart from being one of the best of the Wired-Up programmes, it has brought together otherwise multicultural and diverse ethnic groups: all working together in perfect harmony."

Another key element of Carpenters Connect is Home 2 Home, the estate’s own TV channel and website, which has been created with the support of the Media Trust. Home 2 Home projects include the documentary film “Meet the Neighbours”, which features the residents of Carpenters Estate and has been made with their assistance.

Linda Salim, from Carpenters Neighbourhood Office adds: “Home 2 Home has the potential to offer a challenging and unique way of communicating and engaging with local people in a hitherto untested way. It’s a very exciting concept.”

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"DfES Minister for Adult Learning and Skills, Ivan Lewis MP, concludes: "I am delighted to add my best wishes for the launch of Carpenters Connect and to thank everyone involved in making the project such a success.

"Carpenters Connect is an ambitious and innovative example of the Government's commitment to make information technology accessible to inner city and rural communities. We are currently working with a range of partners to assess how individual access to the Internet can transform opportunities for people living in those communities.

"I hope everyone on Carpenters Estate will take the opportunity to get involved in this exciting initiative and use some or all of its many services. I look forward to seeing and hearing about its progress over the coming months."

The Carpenters Connect project has been nominated for the Local Government Chronicle Awards 2003: “Community Initiative of the Year.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The Carpenters Connect project is led by Newham Council and supported by the following partner organisations:

Carpenters Tenant Management Organisation Microsoft

Carpenters College Neos Networks

Carpenters School Newham.net

Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Newham College

G-Cluster Newham 6^th Form College

Internet Vision Pace

The Media Trust University of East London

If you wish to attend the launch party, or would like more information about the evening or about Carpenters Connect, please contact Ian Beaumont on 07966-522962.

Quotes and endorsements from partners and others involved in Carpenters Connect, November 2002

“The Carpenters Connect project is one of the most innovative developments taking place in the borough and I am proud that the Newham Council is part of it and would like to congratulate the organisers.

“Access to information is vital to the development of any community as it breaks down barriers and enhances social inclusion. In Newham, we pride ourselves on our pioneering work in the field of e-government and it is only right that such an important and prestigious project should take place here.” - Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham

“Carpenters Connect is like a dream come true for us. Apart from being one of the best of the Wired-Up programmes, it has brought together otherwise multicultural and diverse ethnic groups: all working together in perfect harmony." - Tee Fabikun, Carpenters Tenant Management Organisation

“Home 2 Home has the potential to offer a challenging and unique way of communicating and engaging with local people in a hitherto untested way. It’s a very exciting concept.” - Linda Salim, Carpenters Neighbourhood Office

"Our partnership with the Carpenters Connect is a unique opportunity for pupils, staff and parents to experience innovative ways of teaching and learning The project enriches all areas of the curriculum and raises achievement.” - Jan Bless, Deputy Headmaster, Carpenters School

"Microsoft has been delighted to support other partners in making the Carpenters Connect project a reality. This is a particularly innovative use of iTV technology to facilitate access to the latest Microsoft applications and we are excited to see this project providing the benefits of modern PC technology for households that would otherwise not have this opportunity." - Jim Levi, Education Group Manager - Sales, Microsoft

“The Media Trust is committed to Carpenters Connect and Home 2 Home because we believe this project gives people new skills, opens up new opportunities for them and revitalises their community. Working with Newham Council and newham.net we’re proving how information and video technology can make a real difference to people’s lives.” - Simon Gallimore, The Media Trust

Newham.net is a company whose aim is to support the exploitation of information and communication technologies in Newham for public benefit. Carpenters Connect has helped us to build the right partnerships, to learn vital lessons and to take a major step forward in our vision of linking up all residents and organisations within the borough to each other and to the wider world.” - Michael Mulquin, Newham.net

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“Carpenters Connect is a thought leader in turning broadband technology into applications and services for a user community. The project is unique in its ambition and breadth of scope and we are looking forward to form part of it.” - Thomas Schmidt, G-Cluster (Supplier of interactive games software to Carpenters Connect).

“Neos Integration are extremely pleased to have been involved in this project from the beginning as it has given us valuable insight into the benefits technology can bring to a local community, especially one as diverse culturally as the Carpenters Estate. It's been a real team effort and we feel well placed to replicate this elsewhere in the country.” - Steve Tyler, NeosNetworks

“Newham Sixth Form College is pleased to endorse the application by Newham Council for a Local Government Chronicle Award with respect to the work carried out with the Carpenters Estate. We feel that the work already carried out, and that planned, brings enormous benefit to the area. We have been involved as part of the Newham Extranet and expect to be working with the project to deliver training, from basic IT to web-site and electronic media development as well as supporting community businesses.

“We have been particularly pleased with the work done in producing the WebSmart video, which is now used as part of the curriculum in the college to warn our 16-19 year old students of some of the dangers in using the internet, as well as the benefits.” - Jacqui Mace, Newham Sixth Form College

"Carpenters Connect puts people centre stage and opens the door for University of East London and partner educational institutions to provide a complete online learning service. It is a tremendously ambitious project that has looked-up at what Newham residents might achieve with leading edge technology, not talked down or dumbed-down. It is a real investment in the future." - John Lock, University of East London, Borough Of Newham

"Pace is delighted to have worked with Newham Local Authority on the Carpenters Connect project. We are pleased that Pace's IP digital TV technology is enabling Carpenter residents to access a wealth of new information and entertainment services, including Internet, email, local authority information web-sites, games and video-on-demand. This project is an example of how Pace can work in partnership with local authorities to ensure their residents reap the benefits of the digital infotainment revolution." - Andrew Clifforth, Managing Director, Pace, IPTV Division

“Plato Learning is delighted to be playing a key role in the Carpenters Estate Wired Community Partnership, with the provision of educational content to its residents. This is an exciting, innovative project using state-of-the-art technology to support a wide range of learning needs in the community.

“Our mission statement is ‘to ensure the success of all learners throughout their lifetimes’. We are reinforcing our company values by supporting the residents of Carpenters Estate, no matter what age or background. By accessing our content in the home, we hope to encourage the residents to acquire new skills from the comfort of their own armchair and reap the rewards in their day to day lives.” - Colin Young, Managing Director, PLATO Learning (UK) Ltd (suppliers)