Case Study - Eden Project Communities
Eden Project Communities, part of the well-known Eden Project (which will be opening a new site in Dundee), has been working across the UK and further afield for many years, bringing people together in the places where they live. Since 2009, in conjunction with The National Lottery, it has been hosting The Big Lunch, an annual celebration to thank neighbours and communities. This year, it held Big Lunches right through the month of June, reaching more than 9 million people.
Eden Project Communities’ Country Manager for Scotland, Sophie Bridger, contacted the Scottish Tech Army for help to bring The Big Lunch safely online. She explained:
“Most people weren’t comfortable with the idea of meeting up face-to-face soon after lockdown eased in June 2020, so people were connecting online. We identified that although people were keen to do so, they didn’t necessarily have the confidence to feel safe having lunch online, so this year we decided to do something about that.”
The decision to host the events online presented a number of challenges - including the fact that some of the target demographic did not feel confident using video conferencing software, as well as security concerns and the risk of potential ‘zoom-bombing.’ The Scottish Tech Army offered the hosts from Eden Project Communities an educational tutorial session on how to set up a Zoom meeting, as well as how to control the security settings, and Sophie was delighted with the result.
“The support was really important to us. A lot of businesses like mine don’t get involved with tech projects because we are intimidated by them. The STA helped us feel much more prepared, reducing our uncertainty and helping us to feel more confident in what we were providing. Everyone in our team was using Zoom before the pandemic, but we were still getting caught out by things. I would absolutely recommend the Scottish Tech Army to anyone looking for digital support, everyone was lovely to work with and were a great help. “
Two Scottish Tech Army volunteers, Kate Brunton and Tomasz Stupnicki, stepped forward to make this happen. They also created a new space on the Eden Project website allowing participants to sign up for a virtual Big Lunch being hosted within their postcode.
Kate, a former employee at CodeClan and now a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, worked in partnership with a product manager for Eden Project Communities.
“I enjoyed being able to offer help and advice to an organisation that truly needed our input to ensure the success of their project. That’s such a rewarding feeling that builds confidence in your ability.”
Kate also enjoyed learning about the volunteer experience and recommends that anyone can be part of the Scottish Tech Army’s team of people making a difference to third sector organisations.
“I learned how flexible and supportive systems need to be to serve the needs of community audiences. Whatever you have to offer or want to learn more about, there are organisations eagerly waiting to hear from you and that need your support to deliver their projects successfully. You will be supported every step of the way by the volunteer team in the areas where you are still learning and you will learn a tremendous amount from start to finish.”