Silver Surfers take on board the net

Published by Richard Lord for Wakefield & District Housing in Housing and also in Communities, Education

Google, emails and holidays were on the agenda at a Silver Surfer session held in Havercroft, West Yorkshire, last week.

The taster session that took place at Wakefield and District Housing's (WDH) Whin View Court Independent Living Scheme not only aimed to give residents a real feel for the Internet but also the chance to ask any questions they had about computers.

Whin View resident Jean Aveyard, 76, was one of many that attended the session - and for one very special reason.

Jean’s youngest son lives half way around the world in Thailand, so now she is able to communicate with him via email instead of calling him three times a week.

It not only saves her money but also allows her to contact him on a more frequent basis.

From the taster session Jean is now aware of Skype, where she will be able to see her son through a web cam attached to the computer. She also learned how to download photos from emails to make staying in touch with her son much easier.

Jean said: “It’s great that I can now talk to my son on a more regular basis and the session has helped me explore new ways in which to do that.

"I wanted to expand on what I already knew about computers and the internet so that I can do more on it. I think the session was really good - it brought people together and you got to meet new people through networking.

"It gets you out of your flat. It can be boring just sat staring at four walls so I really hope we have more of these sessions. I think they are really good.”

Mark Berry, WDH IT Trainer, said: “It’s a good way for elderly people to ask us things about what they can do with computers – and it gives them the chance to build on their confidence with surfing the Internet.”

Jane Gwilliam, WDH Tenant Involvement Officer, added: “It’s a great networking opportunity for the residents and it also gives them the chance to explore things and ask questions whilst we are present.”