Funding from Kent Community Foundation will allow charities to participate in a free session about Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving change both within organisations and across wider society. Many organisations are finding it difficult to keep up with the change, and understand how AI tools can benefit them, and what risk exist to their organisation and the communities that they are set up to serve.
Kent Community Foundation is inviting Kent based charities to apply for a place on a three hour workshop about how AI could benefit, support and develop their work.
The free sessions are being funded through the Kent Community Foundation Infrastructure Support Fund which opened with funding from Kent County Council to support charities in their development.
The five AI workshops will be run by Tim Cook, an ex-Government AI advisor, who helps leaders navigate AI with confidence and recently shared his experience of the benefits of AI with the Kent Community Foundation team.
Workshops will be held between 10am and 1pm on the following dates –
Thursday 10 October – Repton Community Trust, Ashford, TN23 3RX
Thursday 17 October – Aylesham Community Trust, CT3 3AJ
Thursday 24 October – Maidstone Community Support Centre, ME14 1HH
Tuesday 5 November – The Bat and Ball Community Centre, Sevenoaks, TN14 5DN
Tuesday 12 November – Sun Pier House, Chatham, ME4 4HF
Places at the workshops are limited so early booking is advised.
Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive, Kent Community Foundation said, “We know that offering charities the opportunity to attend a free AI workshop is a sound investment. Our Infrastructure Support Fund supports; the development of leadership skills, good governance and policy development, organisational strategy and development, income generation, diversification, financial strategy and sustainability and the workshops are a really good way to use the funding to reach a wide audience. There are many ways that AI can help charitable organisations to develop and we want be able to say, you can do all of this, and you can do it quite simply.”
Tim Cook, Founder, AIConfident said, “At AIConfident, we believe AI has the potential to help build a more just society. But it also brings risks. We’re committed to providing the independent support to help charities to cut through the hype and embrace its potential with confidence and integrity.”
Attendees will need to bring a laptop to use in the session.
To secure a place on an AI workshop visit www.kentcf.org.uk/news/articles/free-artificial-intelligence-workshop-for-kent-based-charities-2024-09-12
The Infrastructure Support Fund opened with £600,000 from Kent County Council to award to charities, community groups and CICs to fund existing, dormant or new infrastructure support projects.
The Infrastructure Fund supports the development of leadership skills, good governance and policy development, helps collaborative working for back office and mergers, organisational strategy and development projects, support and training for income generation, diversification, financial strategy and sustainability.
About the Workshop
An intro to the strategic implications of AI in the economy and society, Delivered by independent AI expert Tim Cook, founder of social enterprise AIConfident and formerly part of the leadership team for the Government’s Office for AI, the workshop is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of AI technologies and how they might impact your organisation, while also learning best practice in using AI tools responsibly. The workshop will include:
- An ‘Experiment Safely’ session, during which we will:
- Introduce the concept of responsible use of AI
- Run a ‘guided play’ followed by ‘free play’ session, bringing a series of challenges to solve using AI, then encouraging attendees to solve other challenges of their choosing
- Finish with a guided conversation on the ethical principles of responsible AI use, and an ‘Ask Me Anything’ question session.
Outcomes for attendees will be:
- A strategic understanding of the implications of AI for your charity/social enterprise
- A baseline knowledge on AI technologies, and how to use them responsibly, while extending the capabilities of more advanced users
- A shared understanding of some of the responsible AI principles that you might want to employ, which you can then develop into guidelines
- Independent advice from an expert who has been at the heart of National-level Government AI decision making
About Tim Cook
Tim is the founder of AIConfident, a social enterprise seeking to ensure that the rapid AI transformation is equitable, by helping leaders across society to responsibly embrace the transformative opportunity presented by AI. He has over a decade of applying AI to societal challenges within Government, and four years as the deputy head of the Government’s Office for Artificial Intelligence.
AIConfident combines this extensive AI background with leadership coaching, workshop facilitation and a passion for change, in order to empower leaders to create the environment for responsible, confident use of AI technologies.
AIConfident reinvests profits to support those organisations least likely to be able to afford AI expertise, working with charities, schools and other organisations with a social purpose.
About Kent Community Foundation
Experienced grant-maker Kent Community Foundation is the organisation behind the organisations and has been finding, funding, and supporting some of the smallest voluntary groups in the county for over twenty three years. In this time, it has distributed almost £57 million to support thousands of small charities and deserving causes where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.
Kent Community Foundation is part of a UK wide accredited network of forty-seven Community Foundations who are committed to improving the lives of local people and communities, particularly the most vulnerable, isolated, and disadvantaged by matching those who want to help, with those who need the help.
Responsible for more than ninety philanthropic funds, Kent Community Foundation is unrivalled in its knowledge of local causes and assists individuals, families, and businesses who want to help, to establish and administer their own charitable funds.
Kent Community Foundation funding priorities –
- Children, Young People & Families
Supporting disadvantaged children and young people’s physical and mental health, encouraging positive choices and staying safe. - Vulnerable Adults
Helping those who may need extra care dealing with challenging issues or those at risk of social exclusion or discrimination.
3. Elderly and Isolated
Enabling elderly adults to stay well, healthy, independent and free from social isolation.
4. Employability, Skills & Enterprise
Creating opportunities to develop skills and confidence and have a positive impact in areas and groups of people with high unemployment.
5. Environment
Encouraging community action to improve and protect local spaces with support sustainable ways of living.
