• How can we Help?
• History
• Mission

The DOT-COMmunications team are experienced computer and network technicians, database engineers, programmers, web designers and graphic artists dedicated to assisting our clients.

We specialise in supporting local charities, community, voluntary and faith sector organisations (including local churches, mosques and temples) as well as supporting Not-for-Profit Social enterprises in Calderdale (including volunteers and home workers provided they live within the Borough) but also provide our services to small and medium-sized businesses and local residents, with special discounts available to support the "digitally excluded".

We also provide a range of services, including web design and I.T. disposal services, to individuals, businesses and community organisations across West Yorkshire and we will sell low-cost refurbished I.T. equipment to the anyone eligible, however we will only provide our special discount offers to not-for-profit organisations and eligible individuals living in Calderdale.

If you are not sure how we could help you, why not give us a no obligation call? Even if you do not qualify for our assistance, we may be able to recommend someone who can help.

DOT-COMmunICaTions, primarily through 3R-iT, also provides a wide range of employment training and work experience in IT and refurbishment techniques to long term unemployed people, or those who have previously experienced mental health problems.

How can we help?

Our goal is to provide our clients with a wide range of reliable and cost-effective computer services and solutions at affordable prices, backed by our first-class customer support. In addition, you may find you need further equipment to support a growing network, or simply to provide a volunteer with out of hours access to IT support and advice – we can also provide refurbished computer equipment, software and accessories at substantially reduced cost to local not-for-profit organisations.

In addition, we can provide network installation and support, database design, servers, web design, web hosting, internet telephone services, secure data deletion and secure unwanted IT equipment disposal to name just some of our other services.

History:

DOT-COMmunICaTions was first formed in January 2001 by the Ground Floor Project as a training programme for the long-term unemployed which also provided the not-for-profit sector with a dedicated web design service. In 2005, we expanded our services to also provide technical support following a successful pilot project under Change-Up, a Government funded programme to increase infrastructure capacity building for the voluntary and community sector. Our IT Support Service was re-launched in April 2008, along with 3R-iT, our computer and IT recycling and refurbishment service.

Throughout its long history, the Ground Floor Project and its many community initiatives have recieved regional and national recognition and awards for its work both on a local, regional and national level. In recent years  Ground Floor was awarded runner-up in the West Yorkshire Social Enterprise Awards for both 'Innovation in Enterprise' and ' Entrepreneur of the Year' categories (2005).

In 2007 we were awarded both The HRH Duke of York's Community Initiative Award and Special Leadership Award for exceptional achievement. In 2007 we were recipient of the Best New Deal "Placement Provider" Award 2007, and "Employer of the Year" 2008.

We were again awarded the HRH Duke of York's Community Initiative Award in 2010 (it can only be awarded every three years) making Ground Floor the first community organisation in Calderdale ever to consecutively receive this award twice. We were also named winner of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service - the MBE for voluntary groups, in June 2010 and our 3R-iT Refurbishment Project became only the fourth I.T. Refurbishment Project to achieve full accredited membership of the Regional Electronics Initiative. In September 2010, our 3R-iT Project was awarded the Halifax Courier's Community & Environment Award for Best Recycling Initiative 2010.

Mission

We were formed as a not-for-profit social and community enterprise which is defined as: "Businesses with primarily social objectives, who's surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business, or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners".

DOT-COMmunications is specifically a Charitable Social Enterprise - the definition of which is:

• The social enterprise has exclusively charitable purposes and those purposes must be for the public benefit.
• Trustees are responsible for administration and management and must not be paid for this work.
• Any profits or surpluses made must be invested back into the charity and used to support its charitable purposes.
• Assets must always be used for the purposes of the charity.

DOT-COMmunications is directly overseen and managed by the trustees of the parent charity, The Ground Floor Project, none of whom receive any form of payment and any profits made can only be used to further the organisational aims.

DOT-COMmunICaTions Aims:

• To advance the education of the public in the subject of the social and practical benefits of information technology.
• To provide charitable organisations and their clients with access to education, advice, support and assistance in relation to all aspects of information technology.
• The relief of unemployment for the benefit of the public in such ways as may be thought fit, including assistance and support to find employment.
• To promote inclusion for the public benefit by assisting socially and digitally excluded people in Calderdale to integrate more fully into society through the the provision of employment training and information technology services.
• For the purpose of this clause 'socially excluded' means being excluded from society, or parts of society, as a result of one or more of the following factors: unemployment; financial hardship; youth or old age; ill health (physical or mental) and poor educational or skills attainment.
• 'Digitally excluded' refers to adults over 60, the long-term unemployed and low-income families with children, living in Calderdale, who have limited access to a computer or who have either never been online or have only limited access to the Internet.
• The protection and preservation of the environment for the public benefit by:

  a) the promotion of waste reduction, re-use reclamation, recycling, use of recycled products and the use of surplus information technology equipment;

  b) advancing the education of the public about all aspects of electrical and electronic waste generation, electrical and electronic waste management and recycling of the same.

  The relief of financial hardship by the recycling and provision of information technology equipment, advice and support.

Ground Floor is a registered charity (no. 515918) and a company limited by guarantee (no. 1867571). DOT-COMmunications is a Registered Working Name of the Ground Floor Project.

All social enterprises established by the Ground Floor Project, including DOT-COMmunications, aim to promote positive community action and address social exclusion that increases opportunities and benefits for disadvantaged people living in Calderdale. To this end, we are actively involved in providing, developing, supporting and sustaining a wide range of community led and self-help initiatives within the region.