The future goes digital for Sanctuary residents

Published by rtownsend for Sanctuary Housing Association in Communities and also in Education, Housing

Residents from across Brighton are to be given the opportunity to get online and surf the web thanks to a new Sanctuary Housing initiative which aims to help people learn interactive IT skills direct in their own home.

Sanctuary’s Gigs and Megs project is designed to teach residents how to use computers and see the benefits that digital technology can bring, such as communicating with friends and family or using online banking services.

The residents of Clare Walk sheltered scheme in Brighton, owned and managed by Sanctuary Housing, are about to start taking part in classes which will be delivered by two of the residents – Janet Orr and Roberta Scottpadget-Truss – who have received their own training and agreed to be ‘digital champions’.

The Gigs and Megs project is being run at a number of Sanctuary schemes across the country and the start of the programme at Clare Walk coincides with Get Online Week 2012. The national week aims to help people get started with computers and assist the eight million UK adults who currently don’t have access to the internet.

Beverley McArdle, healthy living officer for Sanctuary, said: “As well as helping residents from Clare Walk, the computers will also be used to offer IT support to other local schemes, so we are hopeful that dozens of local people will be able to take part and learn new skills. This looks to be a really bright start for the Gigs and Megs project and we look forward to this expanding across Brighton in the next few months.”

Simon Clark, Sanctuary Housing Services Managing Director, added: “Access to the internet is increasingly important and can be life changing for people who often have limited mobility. These practical sessions will be a very positive way of bringing residents together and the skills they learn could open up a world of new opportunities for them.”