Our vision is to celebrate the rich and diverse heritage of communities living in Northumberland using Tech for Good. We are going to convert a double decker bus into a cultural arts and digital hub offering different workshops ranging from marble art, calligraphy to coding and building website, an ethnic café and a workshop space. The bus will be based in Ashington and will move around different places offering detached work in local communities throughout Northumberland. The lower deck will have chai café offering masala chai, Turkish coffee with handcrafted healthy snacks etc, with devices, books, activities and a seating space for socialising, relationship building and learning. The upper deck will have an artistic digital hub and workshop space where we will deliver workshops equipping local people with skills, fostering cultural diversity, raising awareness and hosting open hosted conversations around Mental health and wellbeing over ethnic snacks and a cup of Chai!

What we'll deliver:

• We will deliver workshops engaging with artists from diverse communities.
• We will deliver digital skills ranging from beginner to advanced level.
• We will host open conversations around Mental Health and wellbeing
• We will have an ethnically diverse cafe to promote cultural food diversity across the region
• We will reach out to underrepresented communities living in Northumberland through outreach
• We will promote social and digital inclusion through heritage of people

Why it's a great idea:

Our commitment is to promote the heritage of people and augment its role in promoting good mental health, self esteem, resilience, education, human rights development and community cohesion. Benefits of the Project: Fostering Equity - Providing greater access to opportunities, breaking down barriers through digital, arts and education Celebrating Diversity - A space where diverse perspectives, cultures & values are accepted, appreciated & celebrated! Championing Inclusion - Believing in and finding ways to make it happen in a way that benefits all involved! Together we can create this space where everyone is empowered to participate and progress in an increasingly inclusive and diverse society, to learn and succeed in life, thereby helping to reduce inequality and disadvantage.

Steps to get it done:

• Sourcing the double decker bus
• Converting the lower deck in an ethnic chai cafe with seating
• Converting the upper deck into an artistic and digital hub
• Launching the bus by end of August 2022
• Planning the launch and sending invites by July 2022
• Online Platform built by May 2022 to keep our audience updated on the progress and get live feeds

The focus is on people participating and engaging in the project. We have a full belief that through "VIRSA" Bus we can promote an active inclusion of disadvantaged people specifically men and women from BAMER backgrounds who are furthest engaging in the physical activities in the community. We want to assure that their voice and experience is their authentic self speaking. They feel safe and supported to engage in the activities and build positive life style changes. Our plan is : 1. Partnering with local organisations, stakeholders and working as a collective 2. Having a community led approach from the start 3. Adding value to the work that is taking place in our community no replicating it 4. Creating a sense of belonging to make Northumberland a diverse place to live and thrive 5. Innovate to Grow - It’s the responsibility of each one of us to find opportunities, improve the way we do things and help our community grow Come and Join us in building an inclusive space for all!