Collaboration with Fit for Life (Greater Manchester CIC) funded by TMBC Community Safety Partnership
In June of 2023 PCrefurb was approached by Phil Brooke, Director of Fit for Life (Greater Manchester CIC) to support his ‘Stay Safe and Connected Online’ project for residents in three venues in Ridge Hill, Stalybridge. The project was being funded by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Community Safety Partnership. The aim of the project was to support residents age 50+ to learn new skills to feel:
- more connected
- more valued and
- more accepted in our increasingly digital society.
For 12 weeks members of our team provided free, weekly, digital skills support at the Big Local Hub, St George’s House (Johnnie Johnson Hub) and Kendal House. In addition, we provided two refurbished PCs, one at the Big Local and one at St George’s house, for residents to use, plus laptops for individuals.
Between January and the end of February 2024 three members of PCrefurb staff ran 20 digital training sessions. In total, 17 individuals engaged with the training. The activities undertaken included:
- Learning to stay safe online
- Using social media
- Using email
- Using messaging
- Learning to use Office programs
- Undertaking online education and training
- Using the internet to explore relevant websites
- Researching online
- Visiting online shops
- Accessing local online services (e.g. their Council or community organisations)
Case Study
IB lives in sheltered housing and wanted to become more digitally confident for her own use and to eventually help others. She had a basic phone which her granddaughter had set up with Facebook, but she couldn’t access it, so the first step was for our Digital Training Coordinator to show her how to log in on the App.
IB was subsequently shown how to switch on a laptop, connect to the internet and browse websites. She was also set up with a Gmail account. IB then learned how to create and edit Word documents.
During IB’s fifth session she was provided with a refurbished laptop and used it to send her first emails. At her seventh session she was able to book a table reservation on a restaurant’s website, including using drop down menus, enter her details and pay a deposit using her card.
This support has enabled IB to enter the online world and benefit safely and confidently from all that it has to offer.
Continuation
Through our collaboration with Fit for Life we have made strong community connections in Ridge Hill and we will be continuing to support residents at the Big Local Hub via our Access Digital Tameside project, funded by The Access Foundation.