The Digital Media consultative forum handed in their preliminary report to the Big Lottery on the 30st May 2005, concerning their continued involvement in the digital media sector. The consultative forum consisting of groups from across Scotland, including aimhi as the Highlands & Islands sole representative, met in Glasgow the week before to help advise the organisation with an annual budget of £70 million on its future directions and engagements within Scotland.

The key recommendations were that Big Lottery Scotland should use the opportunity to become a more strategic organisation and support public-like agencies and local authorities to include digital media in community planning. Big Lottery Scotland should also send a clear message to government as well as communities that the social, economic and cultural use of digital media can make a positive contribution to Scotland’s future, as well as providing an effective tool for projects. Towards that effect, digital media and online projects can create, provide, share and grow repositories of knowledge as well as reduce isolation while increasing engagement within isolated communities.

There is expected to be a second consultative phase comprising of the same delegates later this year. If you are interested in representing aimhi and the Highlands & Islands region as a delegate in the Digital Media consultative forum for Big Lottery Scotland, please get in touch with members@aim-hi.org