NEWS RELEASE

From County Councillor Matthew Ellis

Office 01543 480644

Silver Surfers call for volunteers

 

An over 60’s Computer Club set up 12 months ago at St Barnabas Church in Mile Oak has seen numbers grow to the extent they now need more computer literate volunteers to lend a hand in teaching pensioners how to get online.

 

Silver Surfers started as an initiative to help older residents in the Fazeley area learn to use technology to stay in touch with friends and family and access services online. Over the past year seven residents who have been attending since the start have now invested in their own PCs or laptops.

 

Things are going so well that hopes are high to extend sessions from Mondays and Wednesdays evenings to other times during the week with even the possibility of creating a pensioners’ Internet Café.

 

John Wedrychowski, who helped found the club, says he’s delighted how quickly most of the older users have picked things up,

 

“It’s turned into an educational event and an excellent social one too. We are very grateful for the support of St Barnabas Church in providing the Roberts Room for us to use as a computer suite and although it doesn’t seem two minutes since we kicked things off we’ll shortly be celebrating our first anniversary.”

 

And although the club has been primarily aimed at older residents in the area the current economic climate has led to a relaxation of the rules to allow others who are younger and seeking jobs online to use the facility.

 

Matthew Ellis, the area’s County Councillor, provided funding for new equipment and officially opened the club last year. He says it is a tremendous asset for the area and complements the growing number of community and volunteer groups setting up in the Fazeley area,

 

“I’m delighted that coming up to their first birthday the Silver Surfers are still going strong. It’s impossible to hide from technology now and the friendly environment here means that people without any idea of how to use a computer can learn at their own pace in a wonderful social atmosphere.

 

The Silver Surfers are part of a thriving community sector in the Fazeley. The last couple of years have seen a huge increase in the number of new community groups setting up or expanding. They benefit just about every age group from toddlers to the over 80s and it is wonderful to see. But all these activities desperately need volunteers who are prepared to spend a little time occasionally working with and helping others.”

 

To find out more about Silver Surfers and many other community activities in the Fazeley, Mile Oak, Bonehill and Drayton Bassett area or to offer help as a volunteer visit www.fazeley.info or call the Fazeley and District Initiative on 01827 287469.

 

END       

 

Matthew Ellis visited one of the sessions recently. He is pictured with Barry Clarke, Chris Chilton, Anne Crick, Edna Jones, Emma Reeves, Jean Taylor, Anne Breadon and Stephen Chilton

 

www.matthewellis.cc

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