Computers are the best thing since sliced bread – Clive, 71

“You remember Open All Hours and Porridge?  Well…”, says Maureen, 69, “did you know you can watch whole episodes online?  Look, see, here’s how you do it.”

Grabbing the mouse with gusto and tapping into YouTube, you’d never think that she’s online been online for a few months, even choosing Skype as a free alternative to picking up the phone.

From Newport in South Wales, I met all her on a drizzly November morning for one of several Newport Housing Trust Go ON Give an Hour sessions.  Following a successful refurbished computer scheme which sets up tenants with a reconditioned PC, broadband and training from its computer club, Maureen, alongside other confident residents, were giving an hour to help others discover what’s wonderful about the web.

“Sessions like these enable people to understand the way in which using a computer and the internet can change their life”, says Corporate Services Administrator Joanne.  Covering everything from shopping online to simple mouse skills, the session held astonishing results for Charlene, 76.  Originally from California, she’d never used the net before, and during her hour, she travelled back home via Google Maps and even Skyped one of her neighbours.  “I think the internet is a fantastic thing”, she said.  “I’ve got to get a computer.  I could go back to where I lived every day.  I got to go to Canada and California and see all the different beaches.  It’s fantastic.”

Not everyone was as confident as Maureen and her husband Clive, 71, but both were keen to dispel fears and reluctance for other learners. “Going online is all about attitude”, says Clive “and people who are scared of computers just need to take everything in easy stages.  Patience and practice are the key.”
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