30 November 2023
Helping residents keep in touch with families around the world
Helping residents keep in touch with families around the world
Older residents say they are excited to be able to keep in touch with family and friends around the world as well as listen to music thanks to a learning course.
Residents at two Housing Plus schemes – Bamburgh House and Coniston House – were the latest to benefit from the courses run by Get Online Newcastle.
The digital inclusion tablet course saw each of the participants – made up of six at Bamburgh House in Westerhope and seven at Coniston House in Slatyford - receive a tablet and SIM.
The course, which ran for eight weeks, covered a range of topics including an introduction to the internet and how to use search engines; email and attaching images and documents; basics of online safety such as safe websites and downloading safe apps; dealing with online scams and how to spot them; using WhatsApp; and using Library Online Services such as the BorrowBox App to access free e-books, magazines and newspapers.
And the residents were delighted with their new-found skills and putting them to good use.
Norma, from Bamburgh House, said she was excited to learn how to put her photos from her phone onto her tablet so she could show them to younger members of the family.
Fellow Bamburgh House resident Phyllis Ann said she would now be using WhatsApp to contact her family and friends as well as share her love of cooking with others.
Carol, another resident at Bamburgh House, was over the moon to be able to access YouTube and listen to music on it.
Andrew, a resident at Coniston House, always used to buy a daily newspaper but can now read them via BorrowBox on his tablet.
And Pat, of Coniston Court, will be using WhatsApp and email to stay in touch with friends and family in France and Uganda.
Lisa King, YHN and NCC Digital Inclusion Programme Co-ordinator, said: “The participants at Bamburgh and Coniston House were a pleasure to work with, they were really enthusiastic at each session.
“They all agreed that the eight weeks of the course have just flown over, but the participants have decided that they will all keep in touch with each other, these sessions reinforced old friendships and created new ones.
“I would also like to thank Mel, the HPO at both schemes, who facilitated the smooth delivery of all the sessions. She was engaged and so enthusiastic from the outset.”