Press Relesae from 14 May 2010
Hampshire County Council will be helping older people to keep in touch online through social networking, share photos, and catch up with their favourite TV and radio shows online, during Silver Surfer Week 2010.
These are some of the new skills on offer during the eighth annual Silver Surfers Week 17 and 21 May. During the week, the County Council holds a series of free, fun sessions around the county to help older people, less familiar with today's technology, to use the internet and pick up handy hints on making the most of going online.
The sessions will cover a range of areas from basic skills such as using email, surfing for news and local events, finding travel information, to more specialised sessions like using social networking such as Twitter and Facebook to keep in touch, sharing family photos on Flickr, shopping online, and researching your family history.
The sessions will be held in friendly, informal environments such as libraries, community centres and also schools, where pupils will also be able to share their web-surfing expertise and help to bridge the generational gap. All participants will be given a pack to take away as a reminder of what they have learnt, with ideas for trying out a range of things they can do online, such as planning a rail journey, booking a cinema trip, and finding out useful help and advice from the County Council about wellbeing issues.
Hampshire County Council IT Champion, Councillor Keith Evans, said: “Computers and the internet play a part in the lives of so many of us nowadays, whether its buying your weekly groceries, keeping in touch with family and friends, or learning new skills, but getting to grips with IT can be daunting for those who’ve never used it before.
“Through the range of sessions on offer during Silver Surfers Week, the benefits of this technology will be accessible to even more older people across Hampshire who will not only be able to learn lots of new skills, but also find out for themselves how the internet can make life easier and more enjoyable.”
To find out more about Silver Surfer Week or where your local session is being held visit:
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/silversurfers-events-2010 or telephone 0845 603 5638.
There’s also lots of help and support available through our Computer Skills for Life website http://www3.hants.gov.uk/computer-skills.htm which has been designed to make it easy to learn how to access the internet and find out many things to do online from keeping up with the news and finding out about Council services to using email and making free internet phone calls.
Once you have mastered those first few steps, you will also find other information and web links that will help you on your new online adventure.
ENDS
Notes for editors
2x photos attached
For the attention of broadcast media - 3 x audio interviews to be sent separately
1) Jane Danser speaking with Hampshire County Council IT Manager Arthur England
2) Jane Danser speaking with Silver Surfer John Gardiner
3) Jane Danser speaking with Silver Surfer Madge Mills
www.hants.gov.uk/mediacentre
Issued by: Suzie Southgate, Media Communications Manager (Policy and Resources) on 01962 847367
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