We do various forms of bespoke paid for training for all sorts of people in the third sector, government, housing associations and others, but every month we also give free help for local active citizens.
We organise a free social media surgery in Central Birmingham.
The aim is to help local community and voluntary organisations get free help to Read more
The next CENTRAL Birmingham Social Media Surgery will take place on Thursday 11 February from 5.30-7pm at thestudio.
Thestudio is bang in the middle of the city centre – situated on 7 Cannon Street, B2 5EP. To get to Cannon Street take a right turn off New Street after H&M. You can see the location on their map here.
Since the beginning of the Birmingham Social Media Surgeries lots of people have taken their first steps in blogging and have done fantastically well (here is a list of the ones we know about)
But blogging can be tricky to begin with and after the surge of excitement of getting your first post up, sometimes it’s hard to know what to do next. The good news is that among the Birmingham Bloggers Group there are some kind folks who can help.
So if you’ve been to a surgery and started a blog (which means you’re a Birmingham based community oor voluntary group) and would like a volunteer ‘Fairy Blogmother’ to give some extra tips and keep an eye on your blog while you get going – all you have to do is:
Write a post on your blog saying you’d like some help and link back to this post
(To make a link, copy the address (URL) of this post and write some text that you want to make into the link. If you’re using WordPress, highlight the text and click on the link button) then paste in the address.
You can just ask for help or if you’ve got a question, write about it and someone will try and head over to you blog.
How does it work?
Just by linking to this post (as if by magic) a little trackback will be created and that will let the Fairy blogmothers (and fathers) know that you need some help. It won’t necessarily appear like magic, but hopefully some Fairy Blog Father or mother will then leave a comment on your blog post saying they’re willing to help. With that comment you will get their private e-mail address, which you can use to keep in touch with them.
What is a Fairy Blogmother?
From time to time we get people who would like to help at the social media surgeries saying they can’t make it. We hope that some might be willing to offer you advice etc by e-mail. They’ll be doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, so take care not to overburden them.
For more Social Media Help have a look at these guides and if you want help – link here!
For face-to-face help check out details of the next surgeries at Paradise Circus or BeVocal or the wonderful Digital Brum.
So we’ve made it to a full half a dozen surgeries, cracking. Scroll down for a report on Surgery no 5.
If you belong to a Birmingham based community or neighbourhood group or charity please Come and join us for the May 13th 2009 Surgery.
Next Surgery: Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 drop in anytime between 5.30pm to 7.00pm at Fazeley Studios, 191 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B5 6DR, link to map. (not BVSC) It’s opposite the bond and a go kart track. Push the large pale blue door with the silver door knob.
To sign up please go here.
So what happened last time? Well, Paul Henderson took the photo above whilst Chris Ivens summed up the point of the surgeries rather neatly:
Q: What is a Social Media Surgery? A: With an abundance of buzz-words at every tick and turn and an almost daily mention of twitter in the news we try to look at what technologies could really help your organisation and we’re here to explain in plain English what they are. It’s not a sales pitch nor are you obliged to do anything after the meet, I guess it’s the old cliché; ‘Giving Something Back’. If you come and find the session useful, please pass on the word so more people can benefit.
As with most of our surgeries, people went away having set up new blogs or picked up tips about how else they can use the social web to help their project, programme, campaign or neighbourhood.
Cannon Hill People’s Park came along for the second time. Tony Fox said of his first surgery:
Thanks to the brilliant advice and support we got last time it inspired us to put our Net.website up (just), and we’ll be along to discuss building on our Social support!
Tony and his team have now begun making good use of google maps. Karen and Geoff Caine are the first people who’ve made the move from patient to surgeon, having now made good use of their newish blog for the City Centre Neighbourhood Forum, explored with google maps and begun to encourage people to use services such as the excellent fixmystreet.
It was a good evening for neighbourhood groups. Ged Hughes of the Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum came along, her first time at a surgery. She left saying she would love to come again and the following day created a blog for the forum. (Hurrah!). The first post tells us that their AGM is on May 14th, the day after the next social media surgery. It also pointed me to another local group already using social media, the Acocks Green Focus Group.
Other neighbourhood interest came from the East Yardley Neighbourhood Forum who went away with a head crammed full of ideas and established this starting point for conquering the social web world. Also John Heaven was with us looking for help on how to build on what is already being achieved at Lozells.info.
Laura Creaven of LUCIA Charity set up this personal blog and has got off to a roaring start. Her take on the surgery:
I have to say it was a fascinating meeting and I’m really glad I went. I’m all a bit keen about what we could achieve with it. So I’m a little excited about going to work tomorrow – sad isn’t it?!
Also with us was Mary from Birmingham Friends of the Earth and Attiya from the Health Exchange who left having set up an experimental personal blog.
The ever brilliant all-volunteer surgeons were Ben Waddington, Nicky Getgood, Chris Ivens, Pete Ashton, Paul Henderson, Gavin Wray, Daniel Davis, Simon Whitehouse. Neil Houston – who blogs about food – joined us for his first session and Rob Annable gave some great help on open source mapping. I love the way the people who help at the surgeries vary from month to month, so endless thanks for their help and a particular thank you to Diane from Fazeley Studios who also volunteers her time to keep the place open. I always forget at least one person when I list these, so apologies in advance and please just tell me and I’ll put it right.