Case studies

Making the most of technology – at any age

The Age Concern Bradford and District IT For Seniors group was set up in 2000 in order to enable older people to access the wealth of information, particularly health information, available through technology and the use of computers and the internet.  The centre became a UK online centre in 2003.  Since then it’s expanded its premises, and has added several successful outreach projects in and around the local community.  

Centre manager Alan Magson explains: “We initially started with a desk at the back of the Age Concern Bradford and District Information Centre in central Bradford.  We've gradually taken over the floor space and now take up half of the building!  It’s a great location because people come into Age Concern for normal enquiries and they see us there so can find out about what we do.  We’ve also put PCs in two other shops: one in nearby Shipley and one in Keighley which is about ten miles away.  We offer tuition at both those locations using our volunteer tutors.

“The centre was specifically set up to provide services for people over the age of 50, but I’d say the average age is around 70.  We specialize in one-to-one tuition, teaching mainly recreational internet use – like email, digital photography and information searches.  We also offer regular ‘taster’ sessions, which are usually for around half a dozen people.  I’ll set up a laptop and project the internet onto the screen for about an hour and a half, showing them what it is, how it is works and most importantly what sort of useful and fun things they can do with it.  

“We also take the taster sessions out to people if they want us to, places like community centres, which has proved a really effective way of promoting what we do.  I'm glad to say in the last 12-18 months people are actually walking in off the streets because they’ve heard about us and want to find out more.  We’ve developed an excellent reputation through word of mouth, and I think it’s the most successful marketing we could get for ourselves

“The usual thing we're told is: 'My family have given me their old computer,' or 'My family have bought me a laptop, and told me to join the 21st Century!’  They come in because if you’ve not been born in the 21st Century, its technology can be rather daunting.  They just need a helping hand to get started and show them what it’s all about.”

Because the centre is working with older people, many of whom have never used a computer before, Alan and his staff ensure that all the basics are covered in depth, and that people are given the opportunity to work entirely at their own pace.

“I would say that the average time with each client is around 12 to 15 weeks, but that there really is no fixed length of time,” says Alan.  “Each person can take as much or as little time as they like, what’s important is that they leave the course feeling comfortable with their own ability, and happy that they know where we are if they need any further help!

“We start off first of all by getting them to master the mouse.  If you’re not familiar with it controlling the curser can be very difficult.  Then we’ll move onto the keyboard, but we don’t concentrate too heavily on it because we’re not trying to get people to touch type - we just want them to know what the main keys do so they know the functions.  From the basic operational stuff we’ll move onto the internet, and start practicing the skills which so many people take for granted – how to click on a link or type into the address bar.  

“If you’ve never used the internet before and someone says: ‘click on the envelope icon’ how on earth are you supposed to know what they’re talking about?  We take things really slowly, and we don’t assume anyone knows anything.  Each week people increase their skills until they get comfortable, and then we start them off on their own searches, finding information on hobbies, areas of interest or local activities.”

 This laid-back approach has proved incredibly effective not only in increasing peoples ICT skills, but also in helping them to extend their social activities, says Alan.

“A common thing we hear is: 'I went to a college course,' or 'I went to a night school, and I was the oldest in the class and I couldn’t keep up or I couldn’t hear from the back’.  Here there isn’t any of that pressure to move with the fastest learner.  They’re amongst peers, the sit with the same people every week, and they’re told again and again that they can ask whatever they want, as many times as they want, and no one is going to think they’re stupid!  That kind of reassurance is really important, and it really works.  We're not treating them as pupils and teachers, they’re adults finding out something new at their own pace.  They just come in and sit next to someone who happens to know their way around the internet and can help show them how it works.”

Age Concern is a volunteer-led organization, and the UK online centre it is affiliated to makes no exception to this rule, with 37 active volunteers currently helping to deliver courses.

”We use volunteer tutors because we don't teach qualification subjects, and we stress this to people when they come in. We teach people recreational internet and e-mail.   I work here on a full-time basis, and when I started in 2003 the first thing I did was to place an advert in the local paper asking for volunteer tutors.  We also put adverts around in places like the local transport interchange, and slowly but surely we've built up an excellent pool of tutors from all walks of life. We have housewives, retired people, students who want to count this as part of their CV in years to come.  We’ve got people who are unemployed and would like to have another string to their bow, and we’re often asked for references from people who have given us their time as a tutor.”

As well as the main centre in Bradford, which has six PCs, and the satellite centres in Keighley and Shipley with one PC each, the centre runs several successful outreach projects.  Alan explains:

“We have seven notebook computers using mobile technology which we’ll take out to various locations with our tutors.  We can normally provide about two outreach sessions a week, depending on our workload in the centre itself.  We've just finished a course in a local Sikh temple and the next one we have planned is for a Hindu group.

“There are about 120 member groups throughout the local community which are allied to Age Concern and we publicise our outreach through their database.  We periodically send them the information, and then they’ll get in touch and ask us to provide a course for them.  It’s a very effective way of reaching people.”

As well as taking the UK online centre service to community groups, Alan is keen to ensure that housebound people don’t miss out on the opportunity to get online.

“People who are housebound can benefit more than most from getting online,” he says.  “Things like being able to keep in touch via email can really improve people’s quality of life, while online shopping and banking can help people maintain their independence for longer.  One of our volunteers will visit clients in their own homes, and it’s been such a success we’ve even started a programme to get computers and tutors into care homes too.”   

Although the training offered by the Age Concern Bradford and District UK online centre is very informal, for the people who are undertaking it it’s a huge benefit.

“99% of the people who come in aren’t interested in spreadsheets or databases.  They just want to get online and learn how to e-mail, and they’re very happy with it.  If you’re 70+ you’re probably not that interested in a qualification or even a curriculum – you just want to know how to do what you need or want to do.  Once they’ve mastered the bits they’re interested in, they’re happy, and we’re happy.  For them and us that’s a great achievement.  

“We’ve just had our 1000th client and it's lovely to see so many people leaving our courses knowing something they didn't know when they came in.  And it’s not just internet knowledge - friendships are formed as well.  We recently took part in BBC People’s War Project, which we did in conjunction with the local library.  We encouraged people to come in with their war-time stories and photographs so we could put them all on the BBC People’s War Project website.  Because of that we were successful in reuniting two friends who hadn’t seen each other for nearly fifty years!  That was such a moving day.  

“Winning a UK online centres Award is a wonderful ‘thank-you’ to all our volunteers, who work many, many hours giving patient and committed tuition to  people who aren’t at all familiar with computers.  We’re delighted that we’ve been able to help so many people get online and improve their lives with the help of UK online centres.”