Jamie's Computer Club - part one

Jamie's Computer Club is a social enterprise set up and run by The Society of St James. This page gives an introduction to their work, and how the scheme benefits all involved, particularly their customers.

The Society of St James

The Society of St James has been running for 35 years and provides supported accommodation, substance misuse services and home support. Jamie’s started about 4 years ago, because we had identified a need to provide meaningful occupation for our service users. We wanted to start a work project that would help our clients begin to rebuild confidence, build routine and develop new skills.

Jamie’s Computers is a Social Enterprise division of The Society of St James. We provide environmentally and socially responsible services to the public and local business community, and the income raised goes towards continuing the work we do with our client group.

So our core aim is to provide learning and training to our client group. Providing these opportunities has been made possible by various funding streams, including funding from The Learning and Skills Council, the Big Lottery Fund’s, Community Recycling and Economic Development (CRED) Programme and DEFRA. But in addition to funding, Jamie’s has developed the commercial aspect of the project, not only to provide work based training, but also in a bid to become self-funding, and eventually divert income back to the main charity – The Society of St James.

Through partnerships with local service providers, Jamie's now caters for a wide range of people across the city, including those with mental health issues, offending histories, substance misuse issues and the long-term unemployed.

Jamie's offers learning and training opportunities to these service users in a progressive and dynamic environment designed to develop IT skills and confidence and learners have access to:

• information, advice and guidance
• a funded learning suite
• courses and workshops, including OCN, Developing a Personal Learning Programme and Using ICT
• work-based learning in our commercially driven warehouse and workshop.

Our commercial services which provide this work-based learning opportunity include computer re-use and recycling, and IT sales.

Areas of work

Jamie’s provide a collection and disposal service to local businesses for all their unwanted IT, and the public can visit our facility in the city centre to drop off equipment. Trainees work in this area to develop work ethic and skills and become involved warehousing, delivery and collection rounds, fork truck operating and administration.

The scheme provides forklift truck driving training for employees, and some have gone on to work for Ford, with their forklift qualifications.

Once the computers are collected, they are examined to see what condition they are in, what work they require and whether they are worth refurbishing or have to be recycled. Employees are trained in refurbishing computers, and all trainees can take part in sessions learning about how to build a computer from scratch.

From the 100+ tonnes collected each year and saved from landfill, machines suitable for re-use are identified, tested, serviced and configured in our refurbishment workshop, which provides learners with a further training opportunity. Jamie's has been able to tap into a new market in recycling and refurbishing computer goods, brought about by the WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, that came into effect in January 2007. The Directive stipulates the manner in which companies must ensure environmentally sound disposal of their waste electrical and electronic equipment.

The completed machines are then sold on, providing a third area of work based learning – retail.

The Results

The most important developments we see with all clients learning at Jamie’s is the improved self esteem and confidence, particularly those on work based learning who contribute to the daily running of the project and witness their hard work paid off!

Another part of what is learned is work ethic. Some of our learners have been out of employment for several years, even decades, and the workplace has changed significantly over that time. Jamie’s can help learners to get to grips with what is expected in the workplace in terms of conduct, as well as, and more importantly, rebuild the structure and routine that comes with maintaining employment.

On the next page - more information about Jamie's, more photos and testimonials from clients.