The Digital Unite Blog

With over 9 million people in the UK still having never tried out the Internet, a creative approach to encourage people to try it out is really needed. We were really interested to see in this marvellous video how Wellingborough’s older residents have been taking computer tips from teenagers, in a lovely event at Hollowell Court, which is a Wellingborough Homes sheltered housing scheme. Schoolchildren from Sir Christopher Hatton School came along to help residents explore the wonders of the web together, as well as having a go on the Wii.

Laura Osborne, aged 90, said: “The schoolchildren are absolutely fantastic.  They’re so polite and very intelligent – they’ve taught us a lot!  Coming down and using one of the computers makes life less lonely, it’s good company.  You can explore and find out different things, it’s very interesting.”

The learning in the scheme has been made possible via the Get Digital programme. It is so heartening to see it in action: we thoroughly recommend having a look at what went on.

Do you have stories and outcomes from your events? Let us know!

With fortuitous timing, just as we announce that for SSD2010, our special focus will be on intergenerational partnerships, including our Schools for Silver Surfers initiative, BT have introduced their BT Internet Ranger Schools Award.

The aim of this award is to encourage schools, or a group of schools, to organise events where young people, up to the age of 16, use their ICT skills to help other people learn about computers and how to surf the internet.

This type of event is very rewarding for everyone involved. As well as the many benefits for the learners, students gain new insights and confidence from the experience of teaching. For schools, it is a great opportunity to build community cohesion and they could win £5,000!

But, they need to act quickly because the closing date is Friday 29^th January and all events must take place before the end of the 2009/10 school year.

You will find more information and an application form here.

Fiona, blog editor, here: This year, our partners ERoSH (Essential Role of Sheltered Housing) have been focusing on Mental Health. If you click here it will take you to their website and an article on how using computers can make a difference, by guess who? (us of course!)

Also this year, to coincide with Silver Surfers’ Day, we successfully trialled a new initiative with ERoSH to help sheltered scheme managers to link up with local schools to run internet taster sessions. You can read all about that here

Gill, DU blog editor here: what follows is yet another inspiring example of how an organisation (a school in this case) has taken forward the opportunity afforded by Silver Surfers’ Day 2009. Hooray for the school and three cheers for the keen tenants of South Northants Homes. Thanks to Karen Roberts, who looks after the ‘extended service’ aspect of what’s known as the Salcey Cluster of schools in Northants, for this inspiring report:

‘After the success of their Silver Surfers’ Day earlier in the year, Roade School Sports College and South Northants Homes (SNH) are continuing to improve IT literacy among retirement tenants by running a series of computer skills workshops.

‘On Wednesday 16 September, student volunteers welcomed 19 retirement tenants to the first of the six-week, hour long workshops at the school. Students work with tenants on a one-to-one basis and support them as they develop their computer skills and confidence.    Read the rest of this entry »

Rebecca Court, Community Learning Advisor for Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership, here:

‘Nobody realised what  had been started when Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership (SLLP) and the Workers’ Education Authority (WEA) heard about the opportunity afforded by Silver Surfers’ Day, 2009 (SSD09).  We learned that the ‘Day’ is organised annually by Digital Unite (DU) and resourced online with some neat and helpful resources that support both professional tutors and volunteers in organising, engaging and guiding older people on to the Internet. For most of these older people the Internet is a place they’ve never visited before.

‘DU offered phone support and some on-the-ground support from head office in the form of a talk. The first result was that the SLLP and the WEA organised a Silver Surfer event at the Longmead centre, Epsom on May 15^th 2009.

‘The turn-out and enthusiasm of the Longmead invitees led to a 5 week course. To cater for increasing numbers, it was decided to have a morning and afternoon session and even these had 13 learners in each one, which proved quite a challenge to the tutor and volunteer.

‘Both courses were successful and Jerry Lewis, the centre manager, decided to advertise further. The result is that the WEA are now running three courses and Nescot have taken on one more. Forty or more learners go through the “computer room” on a Thursday and Friday,  with more learners on the waiting list.

‘The interest shown prompted SLLP to help constitute the InterGenEpsom group which bid for Councillors’ Allocation Funding from Cllr Jan Mason and Cllr Colin Taylor. Their £2,000 contribution means that InterGenEpsom can buy lap-tops which will be available to other community groups – hence the name: which indicates all generations of learners in the Court & Ruxley Wards. The lap-tops  will also be available at Cox Lane community centre and The Wells centre. Read the rest of this entry »

Gill, blog editor here:  We hear so much about what is bad about schools admissions and exams, so it was rather exciting to hear news of a service, being trialled in Bristol and elsewhere, whereby you can go on a video tour of a school and then apply to it online! For parents, this could make selection and application very much easier. (Those who aren’t online once again miss out!)  Here is the pilot video from Brislington, Bristol. It’s all part of a Government desire to make sure parents get online – and we’d like to see the same motivation for grandparents, too!

DNC blog editor, Gill here:

I was very much distracted by this link to Lancaster University’s summer school. You get to stay at this university and can do subjects like Computers for the Terrified in the morning, and Jungian Dreams in the afternoon; or How to Find Your Way Round the Internet in the morning and Sing Your Heart Out in the afternoon. Very reasonably priced and sounds like there could be quite a lot of sitting around under trees and chatting, and maybe bits of spontaneous singing in the quad (do Lancaster have a quad, and what is it anyway?) while the sounds of the workshop string orchestra float from an upper window into the friendly dark.  They say youth is wasted on the young – but I think they’ve just been creating the blueprint for fun, so we can act it out all summer, while they’re at home fighting for the few remaining summer jobs ! If anyone goes, please tell us how it was.

Silver Surfers’ Day – 15^th May

The Piggott School, Wargrave, Berks held a Silver Surfers’ Day on Friday 15th May, as part of Adult Learners’ Week. Members of the community were invited to come in and work alongside Piggott students. The students provided individual support on any aspect of using a computer, tailored to their needs.

Both students and visitors were totally engaged in supporting and learning and it was extremely exciting watching young and old working together. On line shopping, holiday destinations and Skype were just some of the topics covered.

It is hoped that further courses will be arranged in the next academic year.

On Silvers Surfers Day (May 15 2009) I was privileged to be part of the most exciting and stimulating event I have witnessed in my 4 years being involved with SSD. The event was hosted by Chesham HighSchool where residents from three sheltered housing schemes (part of Paradigm Housing Group) together with ‘Silver Surfers’ from the local public came to the school to ‘have a go’ at using the Internet, understand more about the capabilities of computers and the benefits of ‘getting on-line’.

The tuition took place in one of the school’s IT Suites and the instructors were Yr 9 (14 year) students who ensured they paired up on a 1-to-1 basis with the silver surfers and most competently helped them brush up on their computer skills or explained the basics if they were complete beginners. It was a pleasure to  watch the inter-generational Read the rest of this entry »

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 »