It is widely documented that the tech industry in Scotland is suffering from a skills shortage – this was highlighted in the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review (STER, also referred to as the Logan Report) commissioned by Scottish Government and published in Summer 2020. In fact, the problem is wider than this – many industries, including financial services, media, manufacturing, and others, are now heavily dependent on digital technologies and as a result are also trying to attract digital talent from a relatively small pool of candidates.

Everyone deserves to feel part of their neighbourhood. The Big Lunch is held in different neighbourhoods across the UK, with the aim of making neighbourhoods safer and reducing loneliness. The essence of the Big Lunch is that communities often lack connections between people, therefore the Big Lunches help to build these connections and enable more community based projects to take place.

Microsoft has partnered with Nationwide during Black History Month to deliver a free online finance and digital skills event for BAME students. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 20, and young people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds will hear from business leaders about a variety of ways to achieve and maintain financial freedom.

Edinburgh-based charity Miricyl has been helping people access mental health resources in one place. Its website features a web app providing a range of online resources and can point you in the right direction to get help- and the Scottish Tech Army made it happen.

The pandemic posed significant challenges for many businesses and organisations, including those essential to supporting people struggling with mental health issues. In a time with so many restrictions, emotional wellbeing became more important than ever before.

Ensuring people with additional support needs have prospects for the world of work, Babysteps 20+, a registered charity in Falkirk, enlisted the help of the Scottish Tech Army in order to help promote their social enterprise, a community shop selling pre-loved baby and toddler items.

We live in one of the most open digital societies in the world. This brings lots of opportunities, but it also makes us vulnerable to the ever-evolving cyber-attacks that seek to defraud, extort, exploit, steal information, damage or disrupt businesses and organisations of all sizes and across all sectors. This includes the Charity and Voluntary sector – although many organisations feel that, as a third sector organisation, they won’t be targeted. Sadly, cyber criminals don’t care!

JPMorgan Chase, which has a significant technology presence here in Scotland, recently shared a fascinating report on its global Tech for Social Good programme, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Some of the figures quoted are extraordinarily impressive – more than 400,000 hours of volunteer hours from their employees over the last ten years delivering more than 1,300 projects and the result is that more than one million lives are impacted annually by the work the programme does. This is an amazing achievement over a sustained period and a cause for both congratulation and celebration.

Digital exclusion is one of the most invidious challenges we face in Scotland and although we all know that, it’s fair to say that we, as tech professionals, had little understanding of the implications digital exclusion has on individuals and the organisations trying to support them.

The Scottish Tech Army recently supported Bioregioning Tayside with a digital project to share the stories of their dedicated community and build connections with each other.

Bioregioning Tayside is a platform which brings people in Tayside together to build community resilience in the face of environmental issues such as global heating, animal and plant extinction, a broken economic model which fuels climate crisis and biodiversity collapse and can lead to increased social injustice and mental ill health.

The Scottish Tech Army in partnership with ScotlandIS, Charity Regulator OSCR and CodeClan announces the inaugural Tech for Good Summit Scotland. The Summit takes place on Wednesday 28th April 2021 and aims to initiate a step change in the Scottish Tech for Good ecosystem. Featuring a stellar line-up of speakers and panellists from Scotland and around the world, the event will explore the Art of the Possible, the Tech for Good Ecosystem and shine a light on the Agents of Change - the volunteers.

You may have seen the announcement on social media last week - together with ScotlandIS, CodeClan and OSCR, we announced that registration is open for the first Tech for Good Summit Scotland, taking place on 28 April, the first anniversary of the launch of the Scottish Tech Army.

The Scottish Tech Army recently supported angel investment club and network Mint Ventures to develop a web platform that would facilitate new member registration including payments functionality and applications for funding from entrepreneurs.

We all recognise that the lockdowns and travel restrictions required to control the spread of COVID-19 have had a huge impact on the hospitality and entertainment sectors. As the pandemic has progressed it has become very apparent that these industries need solutions to help them safely re-open as quickly as they can.

The Scottish Tech Army has been working closely with The Defence Gardens Scheme to develop and improve its new website. As DGS prepare to launch the website, we spoke with Founder and Managing Director, Sally Coulthard MBE and STA volunteer Lauren Kennedy to learn more about the project.

The Scottish Tech Army has been working closely with MHScot Workplace Wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic to help move their services online. 

There is something about December. While 2020 has been the most unusual of years and Christmas will be very different to what we would normally expect, it is nevertheless the time of year when everyone indulges in a teaspoon or two of nostalgia.

The Scottish Tech Army launched in April 2020, and this month we are celebrating our seven-month anniversary and looking back over just a few of the projects we’ve had the pleasure of being involved with.

The Scottish Tech Army teamed up with The National Library of Scotland to assist with a project that has so far resulted in the ability to search and access over 8 million open and free publications from Libraries via a new service https://opentexts.world/

Scottish Tech Army recently joined forces with Leith Community Pottery to assist with a website transformation after the project stalled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Leith Community Pottery is a social enterprise which provides access to expert pottery tuition to the community in Leith.   Places in classes and workshops are offered free of charge or for a voluntary donation to those living with mental health conditions, the marginalised, the isolated, those living with dementia, those with any physical health conditions likely to benefit from the gentle exercise involved in clay-work and other disenfranchised groups.  Leith Community Pottery receives referrals from NHS professionals and 3rd sector organisations, with whom they have strong links.