Durham Pointers

Durham Pointers

Durham Pointers is a volunteer-led organisation whose "pointers" help visitors find their way around Durham. Moira Bent, a retired information professional, manages the website and social media on a voluntary basis.

Moira joined the programme to explore how AI might support both website content and chatbot development: not only for public-facing visitor questions, but potentially also as a source of internal information for a team of around 60 mostly retired volunteers.

At the outset, Moira had already experimented a little with AI, including using it to help draft blog content, but her confidence and technical fluency were still developing. The organisation's context made the challenge quite specific. Durham Pointers is a small, unfunded charity with no dedicated web team and no budget for paid AI tools or bespoke development. Any solution therefore had to be simple, low-cost and manageable by volunteers. There were also understandable questions around legal, ethical and practical risks, especially given the age profile of the volunteer base and the need to introduce new technology at the right pace.

Through the masterclass and a follow-up 1:1 session, we focused on three things: increasing awareness of accessible AI tools, exploring realistic chatbot options, and signposting relevant training and ethical guidance. Moira was introduced to tools for chatbot creation, content analysis and document-based working, and began experimenting quickly after the workshop. She built a prototype chatbot using GetCody, which was positively received by the committee, but this also exposed the limits of free access and the importance of finding a sustainable low-cost option. The committee's feedback was particularly encouraging: members tested the chatbot with a range of visitor questions and described the responses as accurate, impressive and potentially time-saving, including where the bot handled uncertainty appropriately or signposted users elsewhere when Durham Pointers was not the right source of information. Following this, Durham Pointers agreed to trial the free version of Cody on the website and monitor how it is used, what questions are being asked, and whether the free version is sufficient in practice before deciding whether external funding may be needed for a longer-term solution. In follow-up support, we explored alternatives more suitable for charities, including Knowbot, and discussed the difference between a public-facing bot and an internal volunteer support tool.

Alongside this, we looked at how AI could support website content more broadly. Moira had already started using AI for blog writing, and the sessions helped her think more deliberately about how it could assist with reviewing content, improving structure and potentially checking links or information quality within the limits of free tools. Since then, AI has become a more regular support tool for blog production: by using the same voice and template as previous posts, it is now saving at least a couple of hours a week while also improving consistency. It is also helping with SEO by suggesting keywords, phrases and internal website links. Moira reports that this has contributed to a substantial increase in website traffic and is helping to raise the organisation's visibility more generally. Durham Pointers has not yet introduced an AI policy, but the programme significantly increased awareness of the need for a simple one, and this is now on the organisation's to-do list as AI use develops further.

Just as importantly, the support covered the ethical and legal side of AI use, which Moira identified as especially valuable. For a volunteer-run organisation, understanding issues such as accuracy, trust, inclusivity and appropriate use is just as important as knowing which tools exist. As a result, Durham Pointers is now also planning to introduce an AI policy to help guide responsible use, set clear expectations, and ensure that any future chatbot or AI-supported content is developed in a way that reflects the charity's values and duty of care.

The impact so far is less about scale and more about momentum. In a short period, Durham Pointers moved from cautious curiosity to active experimentation. Moira tested a working chatbot prototype, gathered committee interest, identified more sustainable tool options, and started to position AI as something that could support volunteers rather than replace them. Interest is now spreading beyond the committee: all ten committee members have expressed an interest in learning more about AI, and Durham Pointers plans to introduce the topic at a pre-season volunteer meeting before sharing the online course more widely across the volunteer group. The intention to put an AI policy in place is also significant, as it shows that Durham Pointers is approaching adoption thoughtfully, with attention to governance as well as practical benefit. There are also early signs of external impact: by helping improve blog consistency, SEO and website visibility, AI is not only saving volunteer time but also helping Durham Pointers raise awareness of its work, which may in turn support future backing and funding.