Digi-buddies help residents who need help getting online. Anyone who needs to send and receive emails, surf the net, or order their weekly shop can attend a session where local volunteers are happy to show you how to build their online confidence.
People like Jacqueline and Mary (see below) have taken advantage of the local Digi-buddies scheme.
Getting confident online
Jacqueline has been attending Digi-buddies sessions since last November after picking up a leaflet in her local college. She had been attending an ICT course but was struggling to grasp the basics, so she thought she would attend one of the sessions to see if Digi-buddies could provide her with more support.
“I’m a complete beginner and felt really alienated by computers, so Digi-buddies appealed to me because it seemed like a friendly project. I can send an email now which is so exciting for me, and I’m hoping that I’ll get one back. I couldn’t do this before I started, at that time I didn’t know what to look for or what to press. I don’t like using computers very much but I’m starting to like it more. The relaxed atmosphere here has really helped.”
Didgibuddies sessions take place on the following times:
Helping local residents get connected
Mary was recruited onto the Digi-buddies project in last summer after hearing about it at her local Jobcentre. Since then she has been volunteering in a number of the project’s drop-in sessions held in various locations around the borough, most recently at the St. Luke’s Community Hub in Kennington.
Mary says: “I’ve been volunteering as a Digi-buddy for six months now. I enjoy it, giving something back. It’s great when people get it and go off and use it on their own, as it means we’ve done our job. I’m hoping to get a paid job doing something similar in the future.”
Visit the Thames Reach website to find out where you can attend a digi-buddy session, or if you fancy helping a local resident get online. You can also contact the team by emailing erhelpdesk@thamesreach.org.uk or calling 0203 691 5111.
Have you been helped by a digi-buddy, or volunteered to help others online? Let us know how it was for you!
