Village Web Company is a web company in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
Village Web Company is based in Romiley Precinct, close to the Forum Theatre and was founded by me, Claire Worthington, a web developer and digital skills trainer.
Village Web Company Is A Social Enterprise
Village Web Company CIC is a social enterprise, which means that the profit generated from building websites and running training courses, is used to deliver free activities that help people develop digital skills and confidence.
Diversity In Tech
In addition to web development and training, Village Web Company CIC provides employment opportunities, mentoring and work experience placements, which encourage diversity in the tech industry.
Having ran after school Code Clubs in local primary schools, I am well aware that writing code is something that interests lots of children, but unfortunately when we fast forward to studying Computer Science and related topics at GCSE, college and university level, lots of girls in particular have chosen to abandon tech in favour of other subjects.
I’m not entirely sure what happens between the girls from Code Club leaving their primary schools and those same girls choosing their GCSE options, but I do know that lots of young women feel that tech spaces are not for them. As a person that doesn’t meet the usual stereotype of a web developer, I’m keen to provide safe spaces and mentoring for young women who wish to learn web development.
I originally started the business as a sole trader. In September 2021, I officially transformed Village Web Company into a social enterprise and incorporated as Village Web Company CIC and opened the shop in Romiley later that year.
More information about Village Web Company and how it operates as a social enterprise can be found at villagewebcompanycic.org.uk
Digital Inclusion
I’m passionate about digital inclusion, which is why I decided to enrol the Village Web Company as a member of the National Digital Inclusion Network, which offers free training to anybody wanting to learn how to use a computer or get online.
Although I spend the vast majority of my waking hours online, I was frustrated at people being herded online without the skills and confidence to do so safely. After regularly ranting on Twitter about the problem of people being digitally excluded, I discovered an organisation called The Good Things Foundation and although I still rant on a regular basis, I also help people learn how to get online using their smart phones, tablets and computers.
About Me – Claire Worthington
I have been formally working in digital since 2013. I retrained as a front end web developer in 2009, when I realised that my online shop wasn’t very good. Rather than pay someone else to rebuild the website, I enrolled at university and learnt how to build them myself. After my initial degree, I returned to University to study digital marketing at Post Graduate level, because even the best website won’t achieve your goals if nobody ever finds it.
The internet offers amazing opportunities for small businesses. It allows them to make sales and promote themselves 24 hours a day, but it isn’t always easy to learn those skills or find the time to apply them. I mainly work with small business owners, to help them get online and make the most of the internet. I also have experience of working with charities, social enterprises and those running grassroots sports clubs.
Teaching
I teach Web Development at Manchester Metropolitan University and support WordPress workshops at the University of Sheffield.
More About Me
When I’m not writing code or running training, I’m part of a small team that runs a charity called S.P.A.C.E., which supports families who have children with ADHD. I am also an active member of the Romiley Traders Association, who organise and run Romiley Village Market and the Food on Friday events.
