Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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October – November 2024 : Change READ ONLINE

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Social business scoops £5000

Glasgow‘s ‘Digital Hero‘ recognised Wallace Blake from Glasgow received a £5,000 prize from Talk Talk Digital Heroes for becoming one of the 12 winners in the competition. The prize was given as judges voted his business out of three in Scotland. Wallace (pictured at work) designed SOAR, an online signposting site and information library to help people who are experiencing homelessness or social deprivation. His dedication partly comes from experiencing homelessness himself. The group also provides workshops and training for both service providers and users. The Digital Heroes awards received a total of 32,000 votes before the 12 winners were picked. The money is given to businesses that celebrate people who use digital technology to effect positive social change. SOAR started from a grant of just £700, at which point a bank account was set up for the project. The library was initially being piloted by the Glasgow Simon Community Resettlement Training Service in 2008 but because of funding cuts and political manoeuvring the service had its funding withdrawn. Wallace states: "It has been a hard year for SOAR and it has not been growing in real terms at all. However, there are enough people involved who have the skills and who believe in the concept to make sure that the project will continue. There is a large enough number of people not directly concerned with SOAR who want to see it work. It is largely due to those people who believe that joint working and good practice is the way forward and that SOAR is able to continue". When the funding was withdrawn most of the volunteers and peer educators decided that there was too much talent to waste and promptly set up their own group to continue their work. Wallace stated "The prize money will be used to ensure the continuation of the information resource and allows us to be independent in the pursuit and dissemination of information that is up to date, relevant and accurate for people who are in situations of social deprivation or exclusion". Wallace used graphics and touch screen technology and is currently developing the library to respond to voice recognition. Three of the SOAR team recently flew to Oslo in Norway to attend a conference by SAFIR, an organisation that has adopted the Glasgow model. Wallace said: " All money that is received at any time will be used for people in the difficult situations I had mentioned. Service user involvement and input will be at the heart of the service. Many people want to be involved but need training and skills that they may be have lost, or have never been given the chance to use. This money will help in providing that training and recognition."
< Seaforth leads the way Half of Scotland's homeless eastern European >
October – November 2024 : Change

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