Volunteers wanted for the MapAction Chilton Challenge Bike Ride

MapAction invites you to join its Chiltern Challenge bike ride between 6-8 July 2012. It is looking for fun and friendly people to cycle 170 miles around the beautiful Chiltern countryside. The aim is to enjoy yourself, meet lovely new people and raise lots of money for MapAction’s emergency mapping service.

It's being dubbed a “challenge” not because it’ll push you to within an inch of your life (you cycle at your own pace), but because participants are being challenged to contribute to an overall fundraising target of £10,000 in celebration of MapAction’s 10 years of disaster mapping.

"MapAction is a unique British charity that uses geographic information to save lives in humanitarian crises around the world. Raising money for them is always great fun, not only because of the great activities MapAction lines up that are worthwhile things to do, but because it is also such a friendly and supportive team. I'd love to see members of the geocommunity get involved. It will be a terrific outing!" said Chris Holcroft, AGI Director & CEO.

So if you’re looking for a fun and worthwhile way to enjoy the British countryside this summer, look no further than www.mapaction.org/bike.

PLEASE NOTE: DEADLINE DATE FOR RESERVING YOUR PLACE IS 1 JUNE 2012. This is to reserve accommodation etc.

Go on, you know it makes sense!

AGI GeoCommunity '12: First Newsletter

Please click HERE to see the first of a number of AGI GeoCommunity '12 newsletters which will be published over the coming months.

More about AGI GeoCommunity 

AGI GeoCommunity '12: Sharing the Power of Place will be held at East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham on 18 - 20 September 2012.

AGI GeoCommunity is the largest and most comprehensive independent conference in the UK digital mapping and geospatial calendar. The conference provides real insight and leadership in current geographic information and location based issues via a range of keynote addresses and conference papers as well as by hands on training and face to face delegate networking.

The AGI GeoCommunity series has a proven reputation as a 'must-attend' event for a range of service delivery managers and information management and technology professionals. Previous delegates and speakers have been drawn from Central and Local Government, Utilities, Health, Emergency Services, Infrastructure, Insurance, Marketing, Business Intelligence, Finance and Technology sectors.

AGI GeoCommunity '12 will open on the 18th September with the popular pre-conference 'Icebreaker' evening event and offer two full days of thought leadership, practical education, knowledge transfer and real world best practice and case studies.

AGI GeoCommunity ‘11 attracted 450 delegates. The residential format, introduced in 2007, is now well established and the event has proven its growth and sustainability. Feedback from last year’s delegates indicated that 97% of those polled thought the event offered value for money and 89% felt it fulfilled their expectations. 97% said the venue was ‘good’ or ‘excellent. A full report of delegate feedback is available on the AGI website.

AGI GeoCommunity '12 will also offer a select number of sponsorship spaces to showcase new products and services and network with delegates both at the sponsors' exhibition pods and in the conference sessions and social events. Prices are frozen for existing sponsorship packages and a new category has been created for Small Business and Education Members, plus companies that are AGI members can get additional booking discounts. The conference format will offer our sponsors an unrivalled opportunity to meet and network with the key practitioners and influencers across government and the commercial sectors.

AGI GeoCommunity Website: www.agigeocommunity.com

Volunteers needed to join the CPD Action Working Group

AGI are forming an Action Working Group to focus on expanding the Continued Professional Development programme offered to members

There are already some key activities in place:

The AGI CPD scheme is now free to all members

AGI promotes the CGeog scheme

All AGI activities have CPD points allocated to them

AGI will accredit CPD points to members’ event and activities

AGI jointly supported a Young Professional Event in March at the RGS

However we can do more.  We would like to set up an Action Working Group to investigate increasing the range of services offered to members and strengthening the association between all our membership services and activity with the CPD scheme.  Would you like to be involved?  We are looking for a few members to join this working group who have an interest in CPD.  If you are interested please email Carle Baxter by Tuesday 15^th May.

AGI Director completes 2012 London Marathon for MapAction

"MapAction has made the most significant contribution to the management of humanitarian emergencies in the last 20 years!" Gilbert Greenhall, UN Disaster Assessment and Cordination Assessment Team Leader

On 22 April AGI Director & CEO Chris Holcroft ran as part of a six strong MapAction charity running team in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon. In this, his first running event, Chris wore running number 55200 and successfully completed the 26.2 mile course in 4 hours 54 mins.

"It was a phenomenal event and a great opportunity to help MapAction" said Chris. "All the MapAction runners made it to the finish line and the staff at MapAction did all they could to help us both before and at the marathon, including laying on a cheering team at the half-way point. I had a great run and was pacing for a 4:50 time, which only ended up going slightly awry after the 24 mile point owing to hitting the dreaded 'wall'. To lose 4 minutes overall was no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Primarily it was wonderful to have fun at an epic scale event and to raise vital funds for a unique UK charity. I congratulate my team-mates, the MapAction staff, and all who sponsored, supported and helped me, they were terrific!" he added.

There is still time to sponsor Chris and add to his total of funds raised for this unique and very significant organisation.  One that uses geographic information to save and improve lives of those affected in humanitarian crises and natural disasters.

To contribute please click HERE. All sponsorship donations are gratefully received and go immediately to MapAction.

About MapAction

MapAction is a UK charity that provides life-saving information about disaster situations in the form of maps. Deploying anywhere in the world where disaster strikes, its highly-skilled volunteers play a vital role in helping coordinate the national and international emergency response.

Some Recent Deployments

Namibia Flooding 2009, Pakistan IDP Emergency 2009, Berkino-Faso Flooding 2009, Benin Flooding 2009, Philippines Typhoon 2009, Sumatra Earthquake 2009, Haiti Earthquake 2010, Pakistan Landslide 2010, Pakistan Floods 2010, Albania Floods 2010, St Lucia Hurricane 2010, Libya Humanitarian Crisis 2011, Japan Earthquake 2011, Nicuragua Flooding 2011, Ivory Coast Humanitarian Crisis 2011, Philippines Cyclone 2012, Sahel Crisis 2012, Madagascar Floods 2012.

GIS for Insurance - New AGI Case Study