Helping older people develop IT skills

There is a fascinating programme developed in Oxford which I would hope could be a blueprint for elsewhere in which students volunteer time to help older people move into the digital age.
Students at Oxford Brookes University have been sharing their expertise by running computer classes for the over-50s.
The free classes, at Northway Community Centre, Headington, are organised by Age Concern Oxfordshire and the university.
The idea is to bring different generations together and strengthen community ties, as well as sharing computer skills with older members of society.
Edmund Ogunleye, 67, from Headington, is among those who has been taking the class, receiving help from 18-year-old Tom Smith, a first-year history student.
Mr Ogunleye regularly receives emails from his extended family in Nigeria and Canada, and before starting the eight-week course, had no idea how to respond.
He said: “These days, no matter what level of education you have, if you don’t have knowledge of computers, you can’t participate.
“All the time I have only been opening my email – I can write and send them now.”
The eight student volunteers have been working under the supervision of Ahmed Rahman, Age Concern’s IT development worker and Northway’s IT manager, and are giving one-to-one tutorials during the course.
Deputy chief executive of Age Concern Oxfordshire, Penny Thewlis, said only 38 per cent of people over the age of 65 had ever used the internet, and just 28 per cent had a computer at home.
She said: “Older people are missing out very significantly on things which could make life easier and more enjoyable.
“Working together with Oxford Brookes we hope to be able to change this.
“It is never too late to learn.”
Those who have signed up to the course range from complete beginners to people who have some knowledge of computers.
The course covers digital photography, word-processing, desktop publishing as well as surfing the internet, sending e-mails and web design.
Tom Smith has also been tutoring 86-year-old John Goodwin, from Headington, a former navigational staff pilot with the RAF.
Mr Smith said: “John has had a computer for 15 years and never surfed the world wide web, which really shocked me as the possibilities of the internet are endless.
“Working with John over the past few weeks has been fantastic, allowing me to develop his IT skills, while also making a new friend.”
And the extra knowledge of how to use the facilities has already paid off for some of the older people.
Carl Jacobs, 72, from Headington, is now in touch with a cousin in New Zealand whom he had not spoken to in years, who found Mr Jacobs’s details and got in touch.
For details of the scheme, call Age Concern on 01235 849400.

Promoting intergenerational volunteering

Twelve projects across England have been awarded grants as part of a £5.5 million cross-Government scheme to promote intergenerational volunteering and encourage meaningful interaction between young and old generations.

The ‘Generations Together’ campaign, aims to break down barriers between young people and older people and help them engage with each other on equal terms through mutually beneficial voluntary projects. The projects will bring together young people and other members of the community to build trust and understanding, develop community solutions to issues which concern both groups, promote health and wellbeing and resolve tensions by helping to address negative perceptions of young and older people alike. The UK population now has more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 16. As England’s social demographic changes, it is increasingly important that young and older people are encouraged to interact, and spend more time learning from each other’s experiences and skills. Funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office, the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions, the scheme which is also supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government invited bids from all English local authorities involving third sector organisations. The 12 winning bids will establish volunteer projects which build positive connections across local communities between young and old people. Successful initiatives range from plans to use Portsmouth’s nautical and maritime heritage to bring together older and young people in a series of programmes and events to programmes addressing widening gaps in tolerance between young and older people in Wakefield. The winning 12 projects are:

Ealing (London)
Gateshead (North East)
Hammersmith and Fulham (London)
Luton (East of England)
Northamptonshire (East Midlands)
Manchester (North West)
Plymouth (South West)
Portsmouth (South East)
Reading (South East)
Somerset (South West)
Wakefield (Yorkshire and Humber)
Worcestershire (West Midlands)
Iin many countries traditionally there have been strong links between the oldest and youngest generations. Grandparents are playing a key role in upbringing again as we have frequently reported so it is good to see initiatives like this.