Community work earns tech award

Helen Katselis, from RebootIT - left, Gail Harrison and Deb Hill from Whanganui Learning Centre, and Alfred Ngaro, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector at the New Zealand Charities Technology Awards. Photo/Supplied

Whanganui Learning Centre Trust has won a technology award for its work in the community.

The trust won a commendation award for its support to the lower socio-economic and multi-cultural needs of Whanganui through technology programmes.

The inaugural awards, held recently in Auckland, were founded to showcase the outstanding technology achievements of New Zealand's charitable organisations.

Hosted by TechSoup New Zealand, the awards dinner was attended by more than 90 guests including finalists and supporters and sponsors of the inaugural awards, which include Microsoft, Google, Xtreme Productivity, Strategic Grants, Blackbaud and RebootIT.

Gail Harrison from the Whanganui Learning Centre said she was delighted by the award, as it was totally unexpected.

"We weren't expecting to get anything because many of the charities were really big players," Ms Harrison said.

The judges said their entry was of outstanding quality and their work "exemplified the finest qualities of the New Zealand charitable sector, working to strengthen New Zealand communities and to bring about positive social change".

Ms Harrison said she was passionate about making technology accessible to all people. She said there was a lack of technology access in Whanganui - and for the people who needed it most, there were few options. "I want to see good-quality assistance and training available that doesn't cost people to use," she said.

But there is a shortage of funding for this technology.

"Technology is really important in our community. We opened our tech shed in 2016 and we're struggling to find funding to run it."

Ms Harrison said the tech shed was a place where anyone could look for jobs online, do their CV, contact government services and learn to keep themselves safe online.