Epic support is helping residents boost skills and job prospects

YHN has been working with EPiC (Empowering People in Communities) to deliver a tablet training course at Pottery Bank, in Walker.

The area has been named as the most deprived in Newcastle, and one of the worst in the region.

Nine residents, eight of whom were YHN tenants, took part in the 8-week course where they learned how to access and use the internet safely, set up their online rent account and council’s ‘My Account’, borrow books and more.

And there was an additional benefit with some boosting their own personal skills and confidence and others looking at further support from YHN’s Employability team with the aim of securing employment.

Learners were delighted with the course and the skills they had learned over the last two months.

Afe said: “When I signed up it was for me to know more things about social media, how I can handle my page better and for me to know how to keep my privacy, and know how to interact with people online.

“I always wanted to know how to store my personal documents safely. I’ve been able to download books for my children. It’s made a big difference.

“I’ve enjoyed it from day one. I would recommend this course to other people.”

Friends Maureen and Evelyn were another pair on the course, with Evelyn taking part to re-learn how to use a tablet after suffering a stroke.

Maureen said: “I wanted to be able to use a tablet better and understand what is safe, especially buying online as I’ve been scammed before so I wanted to know more about security and what to look out for.

“It will help us in the future. I used to buy a lot of books but now I can download them onto my tablet.”

Mother and daughter Kath and Danielle were also delighted to take part in the course, and are now looking to access further support from YHN’s Employability team with the aim of securing employment.

Kath said: “Someone I know had done a similar course, and I’d seen something in Homes and People about it so we thought we should sign up to do it.

“We knew some things, but not about safety and I’m very concerned about clicking on the wrong website or link.

“The course has been brilliant, lots of people should do it. And if you are an older person, doing this course isn’t going to make you look stupid.

“It can be daunting but it’s not. It has boosted my skills and my confidence has grown a lot.”

Her daughter Danielle said the course had given her more than new skills.

She said: “I had zero confidence but I can now talk to people. I would never have talked to anyone new in the past.

“I’m now looking at other courses with YHN, and along with my mum will speak to the Employability team for support.”

Lisa King, YHN and NCC Digital Inclusion Programme Co-ordinator, said the course helped make them feel part of the Walker community.

She said: “Discussions between YHN and EPIC identified a need for digital inclusion activity in the local area and the Digital Team jumped at the chance to deliver the course to nine local residents, eight of whom were YHN tenants.

“During the course the participants learned how to access and use the internet safely, set up their online rent account and view their statements, their Newcastle City ‘My Account’ to view their council tax and to use BorrowBox, their online Library account to access free Ebooks, audio books and magazines.

“SIM cards were installed in to the tablets and participants were shown how to use Email and WhatsApp to send messages and photos to family and friends in the UK and abroad.

“Having attended for the full eight weeks the participants were then given their tablets to keep and the SIM cards provide data for them to continue to access and use the internet for the next six months. 

“Using the community centre as a delivery base worked really well, the participants knew the venue and felt really comfortable in their surroundings.

“Everyone involved was delighted with the outcomes of the course, the participants were totally engaged and enjoyed their time with us. As requested by the participants Miranda and David, Digital Inclusion Assistants, will continue to offer support out of the community centre one afternoon per week for the next six weeks.

“It is hoped that this successful partnership and mode of delivery can be replicated in other areas across the City, encouraging social and digital interaction between more residents.”

EPiC started in November with the aim of helping residents in the Walker area of the city.

Linda Nelson, Community Safety Development Officer at EPiC, said: “EPiC was set up to empower communities. Walker is one of the most deprived areas in the North East and we asked residents what they wanted to sustain themselves in the future.

“And they asked for an IT course because they didn’t know certain things, such as accessing YHN online, reporting any problems, paying bills, banking, accessing their GP, or applying for jobs.

“Some of these people didn’t have computers at school and may not have had access to them since but this course has given them the confidence to do things online and safely.”