The Government has announced that nearly 20,000 people living in sheltered housing will be switched on to the internet under the new £2.9million ‘Get Digital’ programme.
‘Get Digital’ which will be delivered on the Government’s behalf by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and Digital Unite – will provide residents with access to computers and the training they need to make the most of the new technology on offer. Local schools will also link up with sheltered housing schemes so that young and old can learn together.
As part of the programme, Get Digital will provide grants to set up communal IT facilities and to support and sustain those facilities as well as work with residents, scheme staff, Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and the wider community to promote, deliver and sustain digital literacy skills for older residents in sheltered housing.
Get Digital is open to sheltered housing schemes and RSLs throughout England. The project which will run until March 2011 will support directly 195 schemes and a further 300 via the Get Digital website Sheltered housing schemes will be invited to apply to participate in Get Digital from end-January 2010, with the programme beginning in March 2010 and running until March 2011.
http://digitalunite.com/products-services/get-digital/
http://www.niace.org.uk/news/new-programme-to-get-older-people-online
Silver Surfers’ Day is the biggest, national campaign to promote use of digital technologies by older people. It is run by Digital Unite and was started in 2002. Silver Surfers’ Day is its ninth glorious year. It’s on Friday 21 May.
On Silver Surfers’ Day Digital Unites supports people and organisations all over the UK to open their doors and give local older people a taste of what the digital world has to offer them at a Silver Surfers’ Day Event.
http://silversurfers.digitalunite.com/