When Betty Tilbrook, 78, from the Ecclesall area of Sheffield, walked into Sheffield Town Hall during Go ON Sheffield, it was the beginning of her journey from being an internet novice to changing her life by getting online at home.
After feeling more and more like she was missing out, Betty knew she wanted to find out more about the internet when she went to the UK online centres event at the Town Hall. She says. "I was fed up of being left behind and feeling like an invisible person. Nowadays, everything that's interesting or anything that you want to know more about is all 'www dot'! So if you don't have access to the internet, you're completely stuck."
Betty was frustrated knowing how much she could do on the internet but not having the skills to do it. She continues, "I knew I'd be able to book train tickets and cinema tickets, and if the bad weather came this winter, I'd be able to order my groceries. My son and daughter have been telling me to get online for an age, just so we can send each other emails, I just needed to learn how!"
Once volunteers at the Town Hall event saw how enthusiastic Betty was about getting online, and found out she wasn't online at home, they encouraged her to enter a competition to win a year's free broadband from internet provider Plusnet.
"Well when I found out I'd won the competition I just thought how lucky I was! I just want to be able to take advantage of the opportunities the internet has to offer. It's a different world out there and I know with the internet, there's absolutely nothing you can't find out."
Having access at home will also make a real difference to Betty. She says "When you start to get a bit older it can take you longer to pick things up and you do need to keep doing it so having access at home will make it so much easier. After winning the competition, a friend even gave me an old laptop so I have been very fortunate."
Finding out about a weekly session for internet beginners held at a Wetherspoons pub in the centre of Sheffield gave Betty the push she needed to learn more. She says, "I was unsure at first but once they told me that they offered one-to-one help and I could get specific advice on what I wanted to find out, I jumped at the chance. I think for older people confidence can often be the key, and if they can come and learn in a calm, relaxed atmosphere then they're apt to learn better."
Betty believes it's perseverance that will help her get what she wants out of the internet.She explains, "As I'm older now, it might take me a bit longer to get up to speed but I don't consider myself a dimwit! I want to make sure that by this time next year I'm be clicking away and using it to it's full advantage. If there's one thing I can say it's that I don't give up. I know that winning the broadband can completely change my life, I just can't wait to learn how!"