Sites for Organisations – Transparency in Two Clicks

Developing a website for your organisation can promote and advertise its work and presence to a world-wide audience. Increasingly however it is a legal requirement to publish accounts, minutes and agendas for reasons of transparency and accountability.

Many non-profit making organisations including all small local authorities are legally required to publish their financial and other documents online.

There have been guidelines in place for several years regulating the online publication of such information for small local authorities; the Transparency Code. *

My websites do not only promote the work of your organisation, club, charity or council but are easily navigable and present the necessary documents in a clear way, ensuring all documentation is readily available to a wide audience.

Two clicks is all it takes to reach the content management pages clearly displaying those important documents for viewing or downloading.

…and it is cheaper than you think. One of my specialities is enabling small local authorities to gain an online presence, from websites to portals for consultations on neighbourhood plans, to social media pages assisting with consultations. Send me a message now for further details of how I can help.

Local Business

Promoting local independent businesses is one of my passions. I have been fortunate to create websites and social media campaigns for several local businesses, the latest being the wonderful Whinfield Farm Nurseries.

I first met Andrew and Clare Robertson when my son, Isaac, worked a summer job in the tea room which the couple run alongside their plant nursery.

Being a keen gardener I enjoyed browsing the beautiful nurseries and made some great purchases for my garden. Being a self-confessed greedy guts, the tea room provided me with an enjoyable opportunity to try the delicious award winning Beckleberry’s Ice Cream, heavenly coffee and simply scrummy cakes!

Working on this website gave me an opportunity to work with Andrew and Clare who are such lovely people.

The nurseries will open again for the season very soon, the Robertson generally open in March. Theirs is a family run business. They are lifelong gardeners. The location of their business is superb, close to the Teesdale Way but tucked away, off the A67.

Parking is plentiful, access is good. So this Spring come along and support this local business, pause a while with a cup of tea and a cake, and enjoy this little piece of rural Teesdale.

Teesdale Business Awards

I was highly excited to attend Teesdale Business Awards recently with one of my clients, TCR Hub being shortlisted as finalists in the “Best Business” category.

The evening was a well organised, slick, showcase of the best of Teesdale business with an inspirational keynote speaker, Sara Davies MBE, founder of the Crafter’s Companion who had a wonderful story to tell.

The evening was very well attended and was a fitting celebration of the achievements of local people and best of business in our beautiful Teesdale.

Helen Goodman MP for Bishop Auckland pictured alongside Alastair Dinwiddie – Chairman of Enterprise House

Spread the Cost…Pay Monthly

Starting your own business can be daunting. Daunting and expensive. And sadly just at the very moment when it feels like you are spending money you don’t have, you are no longer enjoying the security of a regular salary.

But the rewards of running your own business are huge and varied.

There are certain things that every business should have and a well designed website is a necessity. A good website is your shop-window to the world. Your business needs to be two clicks away from everyone, everywhere.

So how can you ensure you give your business maximum exposure whilst keeping within your cash flow limits?

I can design and develop a website for you with none of the up-front charges associated with other web designers.

With equal, fixed monthly payments, no interest charges and no loan, you really can spread the cost and get your website, digital marketing and social media, up and running.

Teesdale Mercury Article

Two of my four courses began last week with learners’ getting to grips with booting up, powering down and lots in between!

This week I am teaching basic digital skills at Barnard Castle, Crook, Shildon and Middleton St George. If anyone would like to know more or is interested for themselves or for a friend or relative, please contact me, Lisa on 07966516270 or 01325 730765. Classes aim to get the less confident online and are relaxed and gentle with lots of laughs along the way!

I was fortunate to have a wonderful article published in the Teesdale Mercury on Wednesday 18th January. Written and photographed by Alex Metcalfe he wrote of my career path and experience in business and education.

Many thanks to Alex for writing such a fab piece and congratulations to the Teesdale Mercury for being such a great read each week.

I am also continuing to work on my latest commissioned websites. Check out Melanie Edmenson School of Dance...she is such a fantastic teacher of dance to all ages. I have loved working on her site and it is now nearing completion.

For more details of the pay as you go marketing, websites and social media service I provide please contact me on 07966516270 or email lisa@ljdigitalmedia.com

What’s New Pussycat?

It seems like only a day or so since Christmas was being celebrated as we are so busy at LJ Digital Media. We are very excited about our FOUR new courses commencing Friday 13th January but which will absolutely not be unlucky for anyone!

All courses are aimed at those wishing to get online and are either beginners or who feel they would like to brush up on the basics of computing and social media. If you are unsure about the suitability of any of the courses, please do not hesitate to contact me on 07966516270.

On Friday 13^th we begin a new course at TCR Hub in Barnard Castle. This course will be held every Friday from 10am-11.30am and there is a £5 charge per session. Numbers are limited and bookings can be made by phoning Lisa on 07966516270 or emailing lisa@ljdigitalmedia.com

Wednesday 25^th January sees us working in Shildon with a 5 week course, every Wednesday morning from 10am-12noon aimed at introducing basic digital skills. Please note, this course was originally due to start on 18th January for 5 weeks. It will now start on Wednesday 25th January and run until Wednesday 22nd February.

On Thursday 19^th January we will be at Crook library with a 5 week course running 10am-12 noon every Thursday.

Both the Shildon and Crook workshops run for a 5 week course and cover exciting topics including email; browsing the internet; research using the internet; social media and creating documents, posters and CV’s. It is recommended that you sign up early for the course of your choice as numbers are strictly.

We also have a course which begins on Tuesday 17th January at Middleton Hall Retirement Village. This course is specifically for residents of this fantastic place and I am so excited that following the iTea and Scones event, held there in September and several one-off workshops in November, I am being invited back to lead this course.

Thanks to Stuart Boulton, photographer who ironed out most of my wrinkles! And to the Northern Echo…for being a fine newspaper!

The delightful Katie Richardson, fab reporter for the Northern Echo, wrote a marvelous article all about LJ Digital Media, which was featured in the Echo on Friday 6th January. Many thanks go to Katie who I have known for several years and who is so interested in local events and people and has always written such fabulous pieces.

Gift Vouchers for Computing

Buy your loved ones the gift of learning this Christmas with a gift voucher for some personal, one-to-one tuition with LJ Digital Media.

Stuck for a present for that person who has everything but who would like to be able to get online and feel confident with email, browsing and social media? For £25 I deliver a bespoke lesson in the comfort of their own home with the use of all hardware and software included.

Sessions last at least an hour and a half and a worksheet is included to enable personal onward learning.

Phone me, Lisa on 07966516270 or email lisa@ljdigitalmedia.com for details. * Please note there is a geographical limitation.

New Year, New You!

As the year draws to a close we are already planning an exciting programme of courses and workshops for 2017. LJ Digital Media will be delivering workshops across the area in January and February and we are looking forward to helping attendees to get online and access all that the wonderful world wide web has to offer.

On Friday 13^th January we begin a new course at TCR Hub in Barnard Castle. This course will be held every Friday from 10am-11.30am and there is a £5 charge per session. Numbers are limited and bookings can be made by phoning Lisa on 07966516270 or emailing lisa@ljdigitalmedia.com

On Thursday 19^th January we will be at Crook library with a 5 week course running 10am-12 noon every Thursday.

Booking can be made by phoning Colour your Life Outreach Coordinator, Jane, at Jack Drum Arts on 01388 765002 or email: jane@jackdrum.co.uk

All equipment is provided and workshops are a gentle introduction to computing with a friendly, supportive tutor.

So why not sign up for a course? Make 2017 the year you learn new skills.

New Workshops at Middleton Hall

Thursday 10th November saw the first of a series of workshops held at Middleton Hall Retirement Village. Some of the residents of Middleton Hall expressed interest in attending workshops at an iTea and Scones event in September and the first series of workshops is now underway.

Some of the topics we will be covering include, basic digital skills; email and how it can help communication; online shopping in safety; digital organisation; the glossary of digital terms; and how to safely use apps and programmes on digital devices.

The workshops are currently booked to capacity but it is hoped that a further series will take place. All attendees did extremely well, progress was made and fun was had!

At LJ Digital Media we are very keen to ensure that the sessions help attendees learn in a no pressure, fun environment and during the first session, there was fun and laughter accompanying the learning!

lj digital media