Blog Archives - Page 13 of 21 - ClearCommunityWeb

Drop in to Drop Off

Apr 25, 2022

We are truly excited to announce a partnership with Community Tech Aid as part of our upcycling and sustainability remit.

Community Tech Aid are the leading light across Lambeth collecting unwanted devices, securely wiping them and re-distributing to the community.

They have worked without 150 organizations, distributing a staggering 988 devices and so make perfect sense for us to work together and share expertise.

From now on we will be able to take donations at any of our Community Tech Support Drop Ins and ensure they not only get securely wiped, devices get repurposed or parts get recycled but will we get to work with one of our closest friends in South London.

Together we can promote the benefits of upcycling and continue to provide devices across our network in Lambeth, Croydon, Southwark and Bromley.

So please, if you have any unwanted tech, Drop In to Drop Off.

New spring schedule for Community Tech Support Drop-ins

Apr 25, 2022

Changing times ahead as we confirm our Community Tech Support Drop-in schedule for the Spring.

We have some new partners for this project which we have been working on in the background as well as bringing our work to new communities.

Community Tech Support provides friendly & informal drop-in support for computers, tablets & mobile phones. We can help you use your device, ensure it is safe and help you develop your skills.

We can also help to set up or recover accounts, install apps or transfer files.

“A place to get support, quietly practice or ask for advice.”

Due to the planned refurbishment at the Platform Café in Loughborough Junction we will now be working alongside the fantastic Healthy Living Platform in their new home in the Moorlands Community Centre.

We will be providing Community Tech Support there every Thursday at 10.00 from the 12th May.

Directions can be found here.

Next up we will also be starting weekly drop-ins every Monday 11.00-13.00 from the 16th May at the Anerley Town Hall. This is something we have been working on for a little while now and is part of a broader programme we are about to launch in Bromley.

The complete schedule of Community Tech Support can be found here.

“You are really very helpful to the community you don’t know how many people appreciate your service. Keep up the good work. Thank you all your help and support to our community. They need you.👍👏”

Does this sound familiar?

Apr 20, 2022

So does this sound familiar?

“Nani, I showed you that last week, for the tenth time, why cant you remember?”

Or how about this?

“I can’t right now, I’m busy”

Or how about?

“It’s really easy, why don’t you understand it?”

For many older people looking to family members for advice or help with their mobile phone or laptop this is exactly what they hear.

However, in turn, we hear:

“The younger generation go too fast, they do not have time for us”

And

“We are not stupid, we have learned complicated things, we just don’t understanding this bit and we are being forced to use it”

As well as

“This technology business is the future but we don’t know where to start”

All of this can make you stressed and when you are stressed it’s hard to concentrate and learn new things.

So we created the Mobile Phone Boot Camp; an opportunity for older people to go right back to basics and learn fundamentals such as changing settings, checking email, using maps or installing apps whilst practicing in small groups.

Even better, helping each other!

Upcoming Mobile Phone Boot Camps

Croydon Spring Programme Announced

Apr 12, 2022

Stepping out the other side of Easter, we have a full programme of activities in Croydon designed to help build confidence and awareness and digital technology and provide critical support.

Our Connect UP course has been a success so far in Crystal Palace. A six-week introduction to using email, searching safely, connecting by Zoom and using ‘Learn My Way’ has been funded by the Good Things Foundation

“The tutor is patient, down to earth and made the class fun as well as realistic by using simple jargon. The classes have built my confidence with my dyslexia. Thank you. Thank you”

We have 3 new cohorts announced. Start dates, times and venues below:

From 19th April 13.30-15.30 at Age UK Croydon, Thornton Heath

From 20th April 10.00-12.00 at Upper Norwood Library Hub

From 9th June 14.00-16.00 at Wellness Centre, Whitgift Centre, Croydon

You can register for any of these HERE

We also return with our Mobile Phone Boot Camps, this time at the Wellness Centre, Whitgift Centre in partnership with the Croydon BME Forum.

We have 3 monthly dates announced starting on Friday 22nd April 14.00-16.00.

Full details are HERE

And finally, we continue our weekly Community Tech Support drop ins at both Age UK Croydon (Tuesdays) and Upper Norwood Library Hub (Fridays)

Full details are HERE

Enjoy your Easter!

Community Learning programme takes shape

Mar 29, 2022

Alongside our Community Tech Support Drops Ins we also run a series of short courses we call our Community Learning programme.

Community Learning, for us, means creating useful and practical courses for those new to the internet or computers or those that need to brush up on skills. We try to create sessions which are informal and try different ways of helping residents learn new concepts.

They are designed to provide the skills necessary for work or to participate in accredited learning at a college but equally important is a sense of learning from each other’s experiences and understanding the challenges we all face.

We now will be running regular Community Learning courses at the Upper Norwood Library Hub – our spiritual home, and where it all began for us at ClearCommunityWeb. A full schedule of date will be announced shortly but first up will be running our Connect Up course from Wednesday 20th April 10.00-12.00 for six weeks.

Click here for more details.

We will also be announcing similar dates in Croydon and Bromley as well as developing our digital programme with West London Mission and Lambeth Adult Learning.

Our funding boost for 2022

Mar 21, 2022

As the sun is starting to shine and we ease out of Winter, we want to take a little time out and thank our most recent funders for their support, allowing us to continue the work we do as well as to start some new projects over the next 6 months.

In chronological order, we thank

Cellnex Telecom: For supporting our work into Croydon via our Community Tech Support and Community Learning programme.

Good Things Foundation/ Scheinberg Relief Fund: For our Connect Up programme helping older people access the internet for the first time.

The London Community Foundation: To help us develop our digital programme for neurodiverse adults in Bromley.

Bromley Well/ BTSE: To pilot our Community Tech Support, Community Learning and Upcycling programme in North Bromley

Lambeth Together/ Norwood Forum: To continue our work into the immediate ward of Gipsy Hill

This funding allows us to build and deepen the core support we provide and improve the overall quality of what we do. By building our volunteer base and developing process we can also extend the opportunities we provide to the wider community.

THANK YOU