Farewell to Fiona Hall, Our Online Community Trailblazer.
Fiona Hall has just stepped down from being our online Communications person. She’s made an immense contribution to Tap into IT over the past 6 years since she started. Here are just some of the things she’s done:
- started as a volunteer at the St Alban’s Court Tap into IT group
- built our current website from scratch using WordPress (- no mean feat!) – a really professional looking and functional site, in time to be launched at the visit of the Lord Provost in 2019
- nurtured our online community through our Facebook page to reach 300 followers and engaging many more casual browsers, with posts that
- marked important dates
- highlighted what was going on in the various Tap into IT groups
- celebrated the achievements, skills and interests of group members (Tappers)
- celebrated the progress of Tappers in digital skills and confidence e.g. Margaret Pringle’s diary & others, Slateford Longstone beginner group videos
- connected with the interests of Tappers through links to articles, news, events
- provided a shop window on our services and attracted enquiries from organisations in a position to purchase or fund them
- marketed our one to one services
- helped us attract and recruit volunteers and fill staff vacancies
- Connected even more Tappers and Supporters (-many don’t ‘do Facebook’) through our quarterly newsletter
- Provided ideas to Group Facilitators and volunteers through her weekly then monthly emails
- made sure that our website was kept up to date with key information such as the listing of groups, notice of AGM’s, links to annual reports, vacancies
- set up the “Things to Do at Home” page on our website, with a whole host of links to ways to keep healthy, active, informed and entertained during lockdown and since then too.
- helped and supported TapintoIT events such as the Christmas parties
Some highlights of her work:
- Christmas – Advent calendar/competitions
- The Limerick challenge and book
- Featuring Tappers’ art work, photos, stories and achievements
- Prompting Tappers/Supporters to vote in the Benefact Group scheme, resulting in a £1000 award.
See the Tap into IT Facebook page for these and more under such tags as https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/tbthursday, https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/limerickyourselfchallenge
In keeping with one of those highlights, here is a limerick version of this tribute, composed, I have to confess, with the help of ChatGPT.
There once was a star named Fiona,
A treasure as rare as a Mona.
She crafted our site,
Made it sparkle and bright,
And gave Tap into IT its persona.
From Facebook to newsletters shared,
Her work showed how deeply she cared.
With posts full of cheer,
She brought Tappers near,
And inspired every project she dared.
For six years, she worked with such grace,
Leaving no stone untouched in her place.
Now as she steps away,
We just want to say:
Dear Fiona, you truly amaze!
