Neighbourly & Microsoft train UK charities in essential AI skills

Neighbourly, Microsoft and Onside have collaborated to deliver artificial intelligence (AI) skills training to charity representatives and local community groups across several locations in the UK.

Training sessions were held in Youth Zones in Manchester, Carlisle, Croydon and Dagenham during the final week of June, with a focus on raising awareness about AI, promoting community engagement, and supporting staff to pass on AI knowledge through a train-the-trainer approach.

The sessions brought together over 150 representatives from charities and community groups, aiming to address the growing disparity between the private sector and charitable organisations in AI adoption. Each event was assisted by a local business and facilitated alongside Microsoft and Neighbourly, which developed the training as part of the Ai123 initiative.

Launched in March, Ai123 seeks to close the gulf in the use of AI tools between charities and businesses. Research by Neighbourly indicated that 58% of small charities and community groups are currently not using AI, despite potential benefits, whereas a survey by McKinsey found that 78% of private sector firms are utilising the technology.

Zoe Colosimo, Chief Operating Officer at Neighbourly, addressed the challenges some face in starting to use AI.

There can be a lot of noise around AI, with many people understandably feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about how to get started.

She went on to highlight the wider benefits of the initiative:

Through these sessions, we're not only equipping charity employees with future-focused skills, we're also connecting them with a wider network who are also exploring the use of AI. Together, this creates a powerful force to share knowledge across communities and bridge the AI divide.

During the training, participants learned practical skills with live demonstrations and explored examples relevant to the work of small charities. The programme also provided guidance on the implementation of ethical frameworks for AI within voluntary sector organisations.

Alsaint Nash, Director at Henrietta Media CIC, which empowers adults facing mental health challenges through creative arts in Croydon, commented on the value of the training:

AI training opens new doors for our community work - from automating admin to creative storytelling tools. It's a chance to empower marginalised voices with tech that's shaping the future.

John Carruthers from Lifeline Projects discussed the practical impact of AI in the charity's operations:

We hope AI training helps us save time, raise more funds and better understand what our community needs. Thanks to the session, I feel much more prepared to use AI in our work, support others and ultimately use it to help us focus on what really matters.

Onside's Chief Executive Officer, Jamie Masraff, commented on the broader objectives of the partnership:

We are thrilled to collaborate with Neighbourly and Microsoft on this vital initiative, which aims to make the transformative potential of AI more accessible to everyone.

At OnSide, we are committed to ensuring that young people from many of the country's most disadvantaged areas are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to seize the opportunities AI offers.

The train-the-trainer model used within the workshops enables charities to leverage AI not only to enhance their operations but to pass on this knowledge to the young people they support, empowering them to thrive in a rapidly changing digital world.

The Ai123 programme aims to enable charity employees to take newly acquired skills and pass them on to others in their organisations and communities. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to address the digital skills gap, particularly as small charities look to adopt technology trends more commonly used in the private sector.

Neighbourly's previous research and ongoing relationship with more than 40,000 small charities and community groups has highlighted challenges around digital capacity and skills. The Ai123 sessions are positioned by organisers as an initial step in long-term support for third sector organisations seeking to keep pace with technology-led change.