Valerie Cowan Surfs the Net

VOLUNTARY groups entered cyberspace this week with their own supersite on the World Wide Web.

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and BT launched the site, called the Online Gateway to the Voluntary Sector, on Monday.

The move followed a survey which showed that only one in five small voluntary organisations had access to a computer.

The site has details of all the latest developments in the charity world, including new Government policies likely to impact on the voluntary sector, media news and NCVO policy and research.

There will also be information on charity campaigns, sources of advice on voluntary sector issues and training opportunities for people working in the field.

NCVO's chief executive, Stuart Etherington, said: "The World Wide Web is changing the way organisations communicate, both with the outside world, and with their supporters and stakeholders. "Voluntary organisations succeed or fail on their ability to communicate - with funders, donors, volunteers and potential partners in the community - and it's essential for the voluntary sector to get online if it is to meet the challenges of the new millennium."

Website: www.NCVO-

vol.org.uk

Tales of death and destruction

EAST Lancashire has been known to get some pretty strange weather, but at least we have escaped the tornado so far.

Twisters can cause horrendous damage - as residents of the southern United States discovered last week. Twisters: Destruction From The Sky gives a simple guide to what tornadoes are, how they work and where they are most likely to hit.

There are photographs of twisters in action and of some of the devastation they have caused in the US. And there are tales from people who have survived tornadoes and a guide to keeping yourself safe should you ever find yourself in a twister zone.

Website: http://tqjunior.advanced.org/4

232/index.htm

Prime Minister's question time

PRIME Minister Tony Blair's quest for coolness has led to him taking part in an online question-and-answer session later this month. Members of the public are being invited to e-mail questions to Mr Blair.

But don't expect an e-mail back - the PM admits his children know more about computers than he does and he plans to give verbal answers to the questions in a live TV broadcast on April 29.

Details of how to put your question to the PM can be found on the relaunched No 10 website, which itself is worth a look.

There is up-to-the-minute government news, a history of No 10 and profiles of past Prime Ministers.

There is also a virtual tour of Downing Street for those of you curious to know what colour the Blairs' dining room wallpaper is.

Website: http://www.number-

10.gov.uk/index.html

Just art for art's sake

ART too bad to be ignored is available for public viewing on the Internet. The Museum of Bad Art supports all those paintings and sculptures that would have been better left in the bin.

Its website explains the history of the Boston-based museum and has links to the various online galleries where exhibits are displayed.

The finest examples come from Salvation Army thrift shops and church sales and will give inspiration and hope to anyone who thinks they have no artistic talent.

Website: http://glyphs.com/moba/

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