Talk of Digital Hub on Isle of Wight opening

The council share this latest news. Ed


Plans to open a new digital hub on the Island have today (Wednesday) been revealed by Isle of Wight Council leader Dave Stewart.

Councillor Stewart said the hub would ‘inspire a generation capable of transforming the Island into a world class destination for digital innovation’.

Joint venture
The move is a joint venture between the council and digital experts who currently work with other local authorities across the UK.

Councillor Stewart said:

“We are promoting digital technology as one of our key priorities as it is now impacting on all walks of life.

“To have our own Digital Hub operating on the Island will give us opportunities to introduce and develop skills and career paths, which will be an excellent start to our longer-term ambitions.”

Alex Cole, chief innovation officer at Tin Smart Social Ltd, will be among the experts working with the council to create the hub.

Mr Cole said:

“The professional skills and experience I am able to bring to the Island will mean we can increase the quality and volume of industry-led digital training opportunities for local people with access potentially extending across the Solent.

“A pipeline of diverse home-grown talent will enable learners to achieve digital credentials and showcase their talents for in-demand job opportunities in the future.”

Details being finalised
Details around the venue for the new hub are currently being finalised but it’s hoped it will be open in the next few months.

Image: matsuyuki under CC BY 2.0

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The Sciolist
2, June 2014 7:16 pm

Who could forget Steve Beynon becoming Riverside Bookings Secretary, such was his apparent desperation to make life difficult for all. Where is he now, in the best forgotten ex Chief Executive’s graveyard? They do say revenge is a dish best served cold, but we must remember Steve took huge piles of our money back home to the mainland when he was ahem, ‘made redundant’ all those months… Read more »

Steve Goodman
Reply to  The Sciolist
2, June 2014 9:17 pm

TS – “Where is he now?”; in march OTW reported Retired Hack’s Essex education sighting.

As for the money, he’s one of many recent short-lived IOW Chief Exec. pensioners still enjoying the generosity of island taxpayers.

Stewart Blackmore
2, June 2014 7:19 pm

This is very good news for the Riverside Centre and its Trustees and is a million miles from the treatment it was threatened with under the last administration. It is a hugely valuable asset to the Isle of Wight Community, to those with special needs, those with disability and many other individuals and organizations. Well done to all who have been involved in this initiative which will… Read more »

tryme
2, June 2014 8:37 pm

Sighs of relief at the right people making the right decisions that should secure the future of this building, funded as I believe it was, directly by local people. Richard Priest will know all the ins and outs of it by now, and must have had dreams for it for many years.

phil jordan
Reply to  tryme
2, June 2014 11:36 pm

What a relief that we, as an administration, have managed to get hold of these buildings (we’re doing it elsewhere as well….)and make the only right, correct and just decisions about them….
Sometimes, just sometimes, the last administration seem a million miles away…

sam salt
Reply to  phil jordan
3, June 2014 4:50 pm

Phil, reading below I think the advice I would give is proceed with caution. It’s looking a bit like too close a relationship with the IWC.

The old administration is just around the corner. I take it that the three councillors named below will be excluded from the decision making process?

phil jordan
Reply to  sam salt
3, June 2014 6:04 pm

Jalo: It was our intention from the outset to sort the Riverside out and secure its future. The best way to do that is an asset transfer to a Charity. To be absolutely crystal clear about this…… any Councillor with an interest in the Riverside – these are listed below – must NOT vote on the matter in the decision making process. Further, they should, and will,… Read more »

sam salt
Reply to  phil jordan
4, June 2014 3:42 pm

Thanks Phil, Nice you are still talking to me! Cllr Stubbings certainly isn’t answering the question I asked him twice about audit trails and bus passes! You have been very clear in your answer however I still have a few concerns: Last year the Council granted the Riverside £163466.00 which I take it is for specific care projects. What is puzzling therefore is that this funding has… Read more »

phil jordan
Reply to  phil jordan
4, June 2014 8:07 pm

Jalo: I do not have any personal knowledge of the payments to the Riverside. Can you expand on that…? (it is quite complex going back over the past 4 – 5 years with mediation settlements, rent waivers and funding changes from direct to the riverside into Personal Budgets etc….) In the main, the Riverside is involved with adults but to answer your question, any Councillor HAS to… Read more »

sam salt
Reply to  phil jordan
4, June 2014 8:17 pm

Many thanks for your reply Phil, good to receive assurances to my queries. I cannot give any more details of the payment I queried. The figure was is the charity commission return and gave the impression it was the annual payment from the IOW Council for services. That being the case I believe it should have been restricted.. Please excuse any mistakes in typing, one handed at… Read more »

tiki
3, June 2014 10:04 am

Just as a matter of interest who are the Trustees?

Sally Perry
Admin
3, June 2014 10:08 am

Good question. Not obvious from their Website, we’ll find out and let you know,

Cynic
Reply to  Sally Perry
3, June 2014 10:40 am

According to the Charities Commission (1010432) Contact RIVERSIDE CENTRE LTD THE QUAY NEWPORT ISLE OF WIGHT PO30 2QR Tel: (01983) 822209 Email: richard.priest@riversidecentre.org.uk Website: http://www.riversidecentre.org.uk Trustees Click on a trustee to show other charities for which they also act as trustee MR PADDY NOCTOR FRSA MRS MAUREEN DOROTHY WAKEMAN MRS SHIRLEY AMY SMART MR GEOFFREY ALAN LUMLEY (MR PADDY NOCTOR FRSA is also a trustee of: Community… Read more »

sam salt
3, June 2014 10:44 am

Morning Sally, The Charity Commission list the current trustees as: Mr Paddy Noctor, Mrs Maureen Wakeman, Mrs Shirley Smart, Mr Geoffrey Lumley. Centre Manager is listed as Richard Priest OBE. A bit of cause for concern here with 50% of the trustees IW Councillors and the centre manager another councillor. I also note that for four out of the last five years the annual return has been… Read more »

Black CAT (Away the Lads)
3, June 2014 4:05 pm

Think we need a bit of transparency and possibly scrutiny here please – and quickly before this gets nodded thru as its starting to look a little frayed around the edges.

Sally Perry
Admin
5, June 2014 3:37 pm

The papers which give more detail are now embedded in the article above.

Our understanding is that once the Community Asset Transfer has been completed, Riverside will merge with Community Action.

Cllrs Lumley and Smart can retire from the board of Trustees. They can’t do it before the transfer otherwise it would leave Riverside inquorate.

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