The Access Foundation has awarded a £23,515 grant to Nephra Good Neighbours, to facilitate digital skills classes for their older service users.
Based in North Manchester, Nephra Good Neighbours aims to improve lives by offering opportunities for volunteering, social interaction, and recreation; and to collectively enhance skills via participation in education and training.
The charity provides weekly classes and social sessions at both their community centre and community garden, and in addition they also organise annual holidays and monthly day trips for service users.
The £23,515 grant from the Access Foundation will fund Nephra Good Neighbour’s new project to help eliminate digital exclusion among their older service users. This project will offer digital drop-in support sessions advice on how to use digital equipment, help with booking online appointments, and assistance with completing online forms. In addition, this grant will fund:
- iPad classes
- Digital café
- Training sessions on scam and fraud prevention
- Creative classes (using technology)
These new initiatives will increase digital confidence, improve social connectivity and enhance mental health and physical wellbeing among North Manchester residents over the age of 65.
The new digital sessions cover everything from how to get online, digital scams?and connecting with friends and family through e-mail or zoom to keep in touch with family and friends.
A charity spokesperson explained, “One of our clients has recently taken on a governor position at a local school, but had been concerned that their lack of digital skills would be a barrier to their role. They are so relieved to have booked onto the new iPad session so that they will be able to learn how to access email and participate in online meetings.”
