Help older people learn basic IT skills

Summer can be a quiet time sometimes for the Getting Started Programme with both older learners and volunteer tutors being busy and taking holidays but this year, we had several classes and workshops running up to the end of July. We took a small reprieve in August to regroup and make plans for classes to continue from September to December.

In Dublin, we ran classes at Trinity College, Inchicore, Stillorgan, Ballyroan and Camden Street. We ran a very successful iPad workshop at our offices at Inchicore which was a great success with many of our older learners coming back for our September iPad workshop. 

Cork was extremely busy with a "tutor the tutors" session being held with 20 volunteers attending. Our Youthreach classes continued in Bandon and with our corporate partner at EMC

Plans are in place to extend classes in our Galway region from September onwards with lots of planning work going on over the summer months.

Age Action has held a Positive Ageing Week for the last fourteen years and this year is no different with our PAW Week running from 26th September to 2nd October. Please see link below for a list of events that will be running nationwide.

We continue to get wonderful positive feedback from our learners such as the email below which highlights how much our programme means to older people.  

Hello Jennifer,

I recently enjoyed a beginners computer course in Stillorgan library.

I would be very interested in improving my skills if and when an opportunity arises.

I imagine that many old folks like myself would love the interest of keeping themselves informed, helping our minds and our memories and getting out of the house, meeting new people, too.

We can be too frail in various ways for long drives and also too nervous to go too far ,e.g. town, and that is the advantage of places like local libraries or community centres-- that feeling of security, freedom and achievement all at the same time. Because of our frailties many I am sure would therfore , at least I would, and of course I can only speak for myself, rather avoid formal classes but at the same time be genuinely eager to learn or brush up on anything other than domesticity.

During the few weeks of classes, I, for one, felt livelier coming home than i did going down.

The long dreary winter lies ahead. I dread it and would love to have a class to attend.

Very many thanks and best wishes.

 Sheila

Links:

• Positive Ageing Week