Dorset Community Action

You will have to do a short sign-up process using your name and email to access the Academy. This is free and we keep your data safe (You can download our privacy policy below.) All of the courses and resources have been divided into 11 subject areas or module, which you can see above. These gather the relevant courses in a handy folder. You can also search or browse All of the courses and resources or look at just the Live events and courses. Once you have found an interesting course, you can click on it to see the details. Each course page will also suggest other linked material so that you can see what's next.

If you like what you see, you click on the "purchase now" or "sign up now" button to register for the course. Once you have done that, the courses will appear on your dashboard (which you can access from the top bar) and you can access the details at anytime.

You can search within each module or All of the courses and resources. The search is done by the title of the course, so you may have to think of other ways of describing what you need. Alternatively on the left is a navigation bar which presents the courses by topic area, level, price and so on to make it easier to find what you need.

- Funding, also known as income generation, raising money, bids - Trustee, use governance, board, meetings, leading, oversight, roles and responsibilities - Financial is linked to auditor, budget, core cost - Policies you might also search for risk, safeguarding, governance - Marketing includes stakeholders, communications, social media, stories - Business plans can also be planning, strategic, management

The courses on the Academy are competitively priced ranging from just £5 for a Top Tip to £32 for a longer course. There are templates and models cost from £2 to £25. Masterclasses, some events and interactive workshops are priced individually.

If you were to buy all the courses on the Academy, it would cost more than £800. You have the option to take an Individual subscription which is £9 pcm for unlimited access to all courses - there are cheaper options if this is purchased in a lump sum. We also have an organisational subscription where you pay for your people to have access. If you look at the top of each page, there are links to both of these.

The pre-recorded courses range from about 5 minutes to an hour. The live events may be longer, but we try to keep the online courses compact. In-person courses or events booked through the Academy may be longer.

The courses start at an introductory level - introducing key concepts. This includes "Taster" courses which are suitable for all and give a flavour of a subject and then there are intermediate and expert level courses. Each course will tell you who it is suitable for.

Live online courses are delivered via Zoom. You do not need to download anything to use a Zoom link as it is web-based. For live events, you can go to your dashboard, pick the courses and click on the Zoom link that is there. We will usually send you an email (to the address you used to sign up) with the Zoom link on the morning of a live course.