Issue 10 2020

about what is available. And keep highlighting what is new or topical, so that your messages don’t become stale.” Louisa Antoine, E-Learning Business Partner at SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, asks: “Why reinvent the wheel? Make sure you speak to other charities that use eLearning, so that you have a network that you can tap into when you have an urgent learning requirement. We all have common challenges and using existing content is a fast way to deliver the learning you need. The community at the Charity Learning Consortium has been invaluable in helping us make these connections, so we can share best practice as well as resources.” About the Charity Learning Consortium More than 200 charitable organisations benefit from working with us. Bringing charities together enables the Consortium to offer cost-effective, quality eLearning to more than a million people working in the third sector across the UK. Our collaborative concept paves the way for eLearning success with outstanding ongoing support, as well as shared experience, knowledge and resources. Virtual events have also been held throughout the coronavirus pandemic to support charity learning practitioners. Get in touch: email [email protected] or call 08451 707 702 Connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn Or find out more at charitylearning.org 10 Reasons Why Charities Should Use eLearning Ten charities, including St John Ambulance Cymru and Shelter, have shared the lessons they’ve learned from using eLearning, in a recently published report. The free white paper is packed with top tips and an action plan to help charities take a digital approach to supporting the skills of their staff and volunteers. There are lots of reasons for charities to use eLearning, which go way beyond just cost, consistency, speed and accessibility. Tim Drewitt has interviewed 10 charity learning practitioners, to examine how they’re benefiting from using digital resources as part of a blended approach to developing skills. His findings are published in a white paper: 10 reasons why charities should use eLearning. Download it for free at clc.link/whitepaper The report is packed with practical examples of how charities are reaping the rewards of using online learning. For example, Toria Acreman, Internal Training Manager at St John Ambulance Cymru, has found eLearning to be ‘invaluable’ for training staff and volunteers to face the coronavirus pandemic. Kris Medlang, Learning and Organisational Development Business Partner at Shelter, explains the importance of looking for low cost/high impact solutions when you’re spending charity money – and eLearning ticks that box. Learning practitioners from a wide range of charitable organisations contributed, including The Church of Scotland and SSAFA - the armed forces charity. All the charity learning practitioners involved share their top tips for successful eLearning - read some of them below. Author Tim Drewitt has also created an action plan to maximise the benefits. Tim Drewitt commented: “Whether you’re making the case to start your eLearning journey, or looking to enhance the investment you’ve already made, this report will really help.” Martin Baker, founder and CEO of the Charity Learning Consortium, added: “Having eLearning at their fingertips has been invaluable for charities during coronavirus. Just take a look at the fantastic example in this report of how St John Ambulance Cymru is using eLearning in the battle to save lives. “Charities have discovered that they can achieve far more than they ever imagined using technology. But eLearning is just a tool and it’s how you use it that counts, so I’m hugely grateful to Tim Drewitt for shining the spotlight on the inspirational work of learning practitioners in the sector.” eLearning top tips Toria Acreman from St John Ambulance Cymru shares her eLearning top tip: “Shout about your eLearning. Keep telling people about all your new courses as soon as they’re ready, as you need them to be used straight away. I’ve used our closed Facebook group, as well as newsletters and email, to continuously promote this new essential learning.” Kris Medlang from Shelter advises: “Find your subject matter experts. Work hard to develop a culture of cooperation and co-production with your subject matter experts, to ensure there is an ongoing relationship with them. That way you’ll be able to deliver a steady stream of eLearning that the organisation really needs.” Eleanor MacKenzie, Learning and Engagement Officer at The Church of Scotland, says: “Make eLearning highly visible in your organisation. Use every tool in your arsenal to remind your learners, and their managers, Aug20564 Martin Baker and Charity Learning Consortium staff (Photo taken before Coronavirus)