Does Not Compute

Thanks to Sir Terry for promoting Silver Surfers’ Day, Friday 21 May, on the BBC Breakfast TV yesterday on Thursday 13th May. You can watch this again, thanks to the internet, on the main BBC website:  Terry Wogan on the benefits of Surfing the Net & Silver Surfers’ Day

Terry says: “Everything is just a simple click away now – we can source information, communicate instantly and shop without ever having to leave the comfort of our homes. It’s so easy that any old Janet and John could get online”

Terry also promoted Silver Surfers’ Day more locally on 11 BBC Regional Radio Stations and will be joining the Jeremy Vine show today (13th May) at 12pm to talk about Silver Surfers’ Day – so tune in now from on  88-91FM or online on the BBC Radio 2 website:  The Jeremy Vine Show where he takes pride of place.

If you have organised an event but not yet registered it please do so now at http://www.silversurfersday.net

Digital Unite is offering a GBP1000 prize for the ‘best’ Silver Surfers’ Day event registered on the DU database.  That’s not the biggest event.  Or the one with most participants.  We will be looking for one event that ‘hits the spot’ when it comes to introducing older people to the benefits of digital technology.

If you need help with your event registration, please phone 0800 077 6144 and speak to Rick Crust, Silver Surfers’ Day Events Manager, or email rick.crust@digitalunite.net

At the age of 93, Dame Vera Lynn is embracing technology and encouraging everyone to have a go on Silver Surfers’ Day 2010 – Friday 21st May.

Attend a Silver Surfers’ Day event and you will be able to listen to Dame Vera’s new album online – and maybe even learn how to download it yourself!

Find an event in your area by clicking here or make a free phone call to 0800 100 900.

And find out what else Dame Vera and her daughter Virginia  have to say on YouTube here

What would you like to do on Silver Surfers’ Day?

Would you like to run an event, come along to an event near you, or volunteer to help? Well the Silver Surfers Day 2010 website is the place to come.

Remember if you are running an event and have not yet registered, get signed up now. You’ll be on our map and details given out on the freephone number 0800 100 900 being promoted in the media and online. New for this years event event holders could be in with a chance to win the GBP1000 prize (further details on the Silver Surfers Day website).

We are Kate Norman and Rick Crust, and we are part of the Digital Unite team promoting Silver Surfers Day 2010, which is on 21 May 2010. In this blog we’ll be telling you about the amazing events and partnerships we’re lining up for this year’s Silver Surfers Day. We’re excited… we hope you are, too.

To register for this year’s event, go to http://silversurfers.digitalunite.com/how-to-register

To contact Kate (Media Officer)
email kate.norman@digitalunite.net or phone 0798 2063062
twitter @sarahkatenorman

To contact Rick (Event Manager)
email rick.crust@digitalunite.net or phone 0800 077 6144

Follow us on Twitter

Sign up to the Event on Facebook

Last year, we clocked up 1055 events on and around Silver Surfers Day, and we estimate we reached more than 8 million people. With your help, we can reach and surpass these numbers in 2010.

Read about SSD09 [pdf]

View the video Silver Surfer Day 2009 [YouTube, 2:40 mins]

“There’s lots of pleasure, work and friendship transmitted through this machine. Who would hesitate?” Joan Bakewell

I loved the video to promote last year’s that included endorsements from Angela Rippon OBE, Martyn Lewis, Patricia Routledge CBE and Joan Bakewell. I found it inspiring and lovely to hear about how those individuals use technology in their everyday lives – and how they feel it has helped them and how they would like to encourage others.

But many of you will know the reality of the barriers that lie between an older person who has never used a computer and the satisfaction that they can enjoy. It is a journey – and the journey has to start somewhere. Silver Surfers Day is a call to action for older people, their families, friends and supporters.

It shows them:

• what they can do;
• where they can go; and
• that there are great people, groups and companies – like you – to support them as they reap the benefits.

You are already doing this work, and we know of some wonderful places for older people and some heartwarming success stories. We also know how hard it is for these places to be sustainable, and we want to help you make the job of running a Silver Surfers Day this year as easy and as fun as possible.

Read the rest of this entry »

Rick Crust here, Silver Surfers’ Day Event Holder Manager

Would you like to help us to develop a new website specially for Silver Surfers’ Day?  The site developers would like to recruit a group of older people who are already online but who are NOT particularly experienced or knowledgable.  You will test the website as it is built, and give the developers your opinions, comments, suggestions, complaints, etc.

The website will be all about social networking, security and privacy issues etc so you you should learn quite a lot about online security while you’re doing it.

If you think you might like to join this group, please send an email to me at rc@seniors.org.uk

Fiona

Did you see this on ITV1 last night at 7.30? It was a rather nice half hour film on the Tonight programme, showing what a great difference being online can make to peoples’ lives. Rick Crust, our new Silver Surfers’ Day Events Manager, had a starring role as part of the programme was filmed at Hackney Silver Surfers, where he runs computer classes.

If you missed it, you can see it on ITVplayer  here until the beginning of April.

If you are a Radio 2 listener, you will have already heard that their Get Connected campaign launched yesterday. The aim of the campaign is to help more of their listeners get online and understand digital technology better. Many Radio 2 shows will be involved throughout the whole of March and there are lots of tips on their website from presenters such as Terry Wogan. You can also phone 08000 150 950 and they’ll send you a booklet.
There’s more here.

In November, 12 residents from “Johnnie” Johnson retirement scheme Woolsington Court in Bedlington, Northumberland, learnt about computers and the internet onboard Northumberland College’s IT bus, which parked up next to their scheme.

There was a sense of anticipation as residents entered the IT bus and sat down to begin their class. For most this was the first time they had been on a computer. Within half an hour they were surfing the net!

Afterwards, residents were proud of their new found skills. One said ‘This is fantastic! It’s the first time I’ve been on the internet. I finally know what it’s all about.’
Read the rest of this entry »

There’s an exciting opportunity to join the DU Team in January working on our annual Silver Surfers’ Day Campaign. We’re looking for someone to join as Events Manager. This will be a part time post on an initial 6 month contract, and is an excellent opportunity for a creative individual with experience of partnership and/or community building work. You’ll be inspiring, cajoling and supporting the many diverse organisations who take part in SSD every year and you will use your flair to identify new ones. Click here for more information.

Fiona

How’s the Christmas shopping going? Have you finished or are you, like me, stuck on one or two friends or relatives who seem to have everything already? If so, have you thought about a DU gift voucher? Many of our tutors offer these, especially at this time of year. The lucky recipient can choose what they learn, whether it’s the basics of how to use a computer or something more advanced like dealing with email attachments or photos from a digital camera. And of course, the learning will always be at their own pace.

For many people, learning to use a computer opens up a whole new world – what a great Christmas present that would make!

To contact the DU Tutor for your area, call us on 0800 822 3951 or click here to send us a message.