why does it matter being a mutual?

Helen MilnerCEO - Online Centres Foundation

slideshare.net/helenmilner

Why it makes a difference being a mutual

23 June 2012 

Online Centres Foundation

OCF is a staff-owned mutual and social enterprise

We deliver public value and all surplus generated is re-invested in our social aims, ensured through an asset lock

OCF delivers the contract to support the UK online centres network

Our vision

To deliver large scale social action in thousands of local communities so that everyone can take part in a fully networked nation

Our values

A national organisation

We lead, coordinate and support a national network of 4,300 local venues

We provide:• A learning website for people new to the internet• A web-searchable database of 4,300 community

venues, available as an API and widget• National campaigns and support to local events• Training webinars/grants for volunteers & staff• Some grants to c. 500 centres & outreach activity• National partnerships with media and others

3,800 Community Partners + 500 Access Points

Pubs

Cafes

Community centres and events

… and churches, libraries, mosques, youth groups, mobile

A barn

Local partners do this:

A “Bigger Life”

The internet makes you happier than money

The BCS research found that: ‘IT has a direct positive impact on life

satisfaction, even when controlling for income and other factors known to be important in determining well-being’

Source: The Information Dividend: Why IT makes you ‘happier’, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT by Trajectory Partnership, September 2010

Everyday use is exploding: a bigger divide

Percentage UK population use of the internet

Source: ONS up to Q3 2011

88% people feel more confident79% think they are more independent

after they have got help to use the internet

UK online centres progression survey

Oct – Dec 2011

The question is not how can we use technology …..

… it’s what do we want to achieve and how can technology help us to

achieve it?

1m online* for £30m: Saving £157m*Through UK online centres, April 2010 – July 2012

1 April 2010 – 27 April 2012

1 April 2010 – 17 June 2012

Local+ Technology

+ Scale

lots of provisos, beta launch July 2012

alfa, draft, not final

Expanding our deliverables

How did we become a mutual?

• 2000: ICT Learning Centres (in DfE)

• 2002: Renamed UK online centres (in DfE)

• 2003: Ufi (learndirect) asked to manage the network

• 2006: A separate independent division within Ufi

• June 2011: Tender issued for managing the UK online centres network

• December 2011: Online Centres Foundation started delivering the contract

Our mutual structure

• A company limited by guarantee, with an asset lock

• Members are the staff and external Board Directors – to ensure equality of voice

• Membership was optional, and all staff joined instantly

• Membership guarantees the company for £1

Our Governance

• 32 staff and 5 external Board Directors are all Members of the company

• Board is made up of:• 3 elected staff members, & the CEO• 4 externally recruited Board Directors, &

the Chair (Lord Jim Knight)

• Annual AGM

• 6-weekly Member meetings

Why does it matter?

• Although very open leadership culture before, still had “rules” (HR, expenses, etc) handed down from parent organisation and Treasury

• Total responsibility is now ours – that’s good, staff know decisions can be discussed and influenced

• Money feels like our own – so we are much more careful about spending (eg expenses)

• Big example – office move (saving £20k+)

• Staff propose ideas to spend savings – eg new grant programme for smaller centres

“working for UK online centres, I really feel invested, not only in my own role but in the whole organisation.  There’s a very strong sense of collaboration and cooperation. It

really feels like everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s opinion matters”

a member of OCF staff

The magic ingredient is PEOPLE

Thank You

helen@ukonlinecentres.com@helenmilner on twitterSlideshare.net/helenmilnerwww.ukonlinecentres.comwww.go-on.co.uk