The Digital Unite Blog

My Story

Naomi Arnold, from BBC Learning here:

I want to let you know about a new BBC Storytelling Competition launching in September 09 on the One Show, its called My Story.

True stories have inspired some of the most successful books and films of all time. My Story hopes to inspire the whole Nation to take part in the competition by going online and writing their real life story.

Everyone’s got a story to tell, so the competition will be a great way to encourage people to go online, try some creative writing and at the same time brush up on IT skills.  Plus there’s a great incentive – 15 of the best stories will be covered in short films for BBC One and some will be published.

The My Story website will be packed with tips and advice to help people less confident with writing and we’ll be producing a free My Story magazine to give further support. They’ll be free resources for tutors to run My Story workshops with learners and promotional merchandise like posters etc.

If you would like to find out more about how to get hold of the resources, you need to speak to your regional learning project manager.  Email me to be put in touch with them naomi.arnold@bbc.co.uk.

Click here for more about Gerry

Hi, I’m Gerry Thorpe and I joined the Digital Unite team as a Tutor in February after taking early retirement from a career in IBM. I provide home computer tuition across Sussex along with some of my colleagues from Digital Unite. I have been an enthusiastic Internet shopper for many years now, and have never had any problems either with security or level of service from the supplier.

I have recently used the eBay website extensively to successfully sell a number of items ranging from scuba diving equipment to sausage-making machines, and found it quite addictive. I have also bought a number of items from eBay. I prefer this method of buying and selling to ‘face-to-face’ as I can just leave it to the auctioning activity to get the final price of an item without having to haggle with a potential buyer. It’s amazing what items people are looking to buy and I now always consider whether to sell an item I am thinking of discarding on eBay. Read the rest of this entry »

gill

Hello from the DNC Blog Editor…

UK Older People’s Day is on October 1st, 2009 (at this rate we’ll have a Day for everyone, a kind of Hallmark Calendar – how about  Uncles’ and Aunts’ Day? or Step-parents’ Day, or …well, let’s calm down).

And, yes, you’ve guessed it, it’s all a plot to make us fitter and happier so we aren’t a drain on resources – which is no bad thing. And (you’ve probably guessed this, too) you can hold an Event!  It can be anything you like, really, so long as it’s celebrating being older and being in a community. And there’s a great little ideas ‘toolkit’ (yes, we hate the word, too, but this one is actually quite inspiring and by the time I’d finished reading it I really did want to Start a Community Garden, have a Clothes Swap Party do Strictly Comes to Town, and then had to lie down).

All this is being put out by our own dear government and you can find more here. And, remember, the best way to get ‘even’ (with the inevitability of ageing, the heat, the cold, the government, the credit crunch) is to ‘have fun’. And that’s official…?! (At last, I feel properly understood…)

Gill

Liz McGregor, Engagement Officer for Older People  in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland asked us to publish this:

‘ Once again September has been chosen as Older Persons’ Month for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. A series of events and activities aimed at ‘Listening to Older People’, around the theme of  ‘Safe, Active and Independent’ will be taking place across the county throughout September, with a launch on 27^th August.

Voluntary agencies, emergency services, health and local authorities will be joining forces to engage with older people in their own communities, providing information and advice and listening to their views on services in their local areas.

nformation on events taking place during Older Persons’ Month will be available in a booklet which will be widely distributed throughout August. Please look out for it and help to pass it on.

For more information contact Liz McGregor, Engagement Officer for Older People on e-mail: liz@ccp.org.uk

This has a short piece within it on using accessible technology (magnifiers, screen readers, etc) but is also useful because it gives a ‘big picture’ of how people with sight problems access all sorts of information, and there’s a chart of helpful organisations, too, such as the British Computer Associaton for the Blind. All here as a 10-page .pdf document.

Not only do they bowl online (it’s a ‘Wii’ thing – you’ll just have to watch the film on You Tube) at this sheltered housing complex but they get school kids in and compete with them. It’s all very rowdy -  have a look.

More here.

We haven’t had a chance to look at this closely yet – but it looks good. It’s been developed by National Council for Voluntary Organisations, funded by the Cabinet Office. If anyone has time to review it, please comment here for all our sakes:

http://www.fundingcentral.org.uk/

Here’s a message,  and an invitation to apply for funds, sent to us via the Older & Bolder email group (well worth joining if you’re at all interested in being older and bolder!):

‘Thinking caps on, everybody – a new UK-wide programme has been launched to develop innovative solutions to tackle the problem of an increasingly aged society.

Elderly people tend to like radio – and community radio loves older people.   However people involved in community television might also be inspired to get involved with this project.

The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts’ (NESTA) £650,000 Age Unlimited scheme will look to fund Read the rest of this entry »

Morning! Happy Silver Surfers’ Day – Digital Unite Team (Gill version) here: Hope the day goes well for all of you. The video below (another triumph for Flip Mino in spite of my slightly shaky hand in the paparazzi hubbub!) was edited in Windows Moviemaker (standard on a Windows machine; I’d never used it before so it must be highly intuitive), then uploaded to YouTube after yesterday’s celebration of Silver Surfers’ Day at Greenlawns sheltered housing in Woolwich which is also home to a vibrant UK online centre. Greenlawns invited Minister of State, DWP (special responsibility for ‘Positive Attitudes to Ageing’), Rosie Winterton who had a little lesson from Daniel…watch the results, below. (For other fine silver surfers’ films, including Joan Bakewell, Angela Rippon, Martyn Lewis and Patricia Routledge, see here.)
 

Hi, Great to watch from Ireland where Bealtaine, Ireland’s nationwide celebration of creativity in older age is in full swing. Look here; http://www.bealtaine.com or peek at a project here http://www.themagpiesnest.ie that features an amazing family tree. Bealtaine’s in its 14th year, takes place in every County. Read the rest of this entry »