Sketty Park Online (Digital Inclusion)

Digital Technology and the Internet connects people to information and advice, to new and better jobs, to government and corporate services, to savings, price comparisons and ultimately to each other. Sketty Park Online aims to convince the community to work together to inspire, encourage and support as many people as possible to get online.

For many organisations and public bodies, the use of technology is becoming increasingly important in service delivery and communication.

However, not everyone has the access, skills or motivation to make use of digital technology. And crucially, it is those already at a social or financial disadvantage who are most likely to be the people who can’t, won’t or don’t use computers and the internet.

The Sketty Park Online Project is a partnership formed by Coastal Housing and five other organisations. It has been designed to help provide learning opportunities and IT resources within the local Sketty Park community. We have a large amount of housing stock within the Sketty Park area, and social landlords have become an integral part of digital inclusion strategies. With nearly a third of the entire “offline population” living in social housing, landlords can play a key role in reaching and engaging the digitally excluded.

We currently offer free workshops and drop-in sessions at six different venues within the Sketty Park area. 

The question is not whether we can get a computer into everyone’s home. It's whether communities can make use of the learning resources already available to become digitally included and involved.

Our sessions are not just about word processing and typing, but blogging and tweeting - not written tests and examinations, but community collaboration in a familiar environment.

We are also offering opportunities for the community to help with volunteering on the project.

Opportunities to develop new skills, meet new people, learn new things and hopefully have fun doing it. Volunteering is a great way to get more experience, put existing skills to good use, improve your CV or simply try new things.

Another specific goal is reaching older people who lack internet and computer skills. This demographic is a major concern because 5.7 million of the ageing population are currently offline, and they have as much, if not more, to gain from access to the internet as the rest of society.

Introducing older people to the online world can help with social inclusion by enriching quality of life. This can also allow industries, charities and the government to deal with our ageing population in a more progressive way.

Within Sketty Park we have already seen first-hand enjoyment that the internet and technology can bring to older people. There are clear advantages with better contact with friends and family and increased independence. Cost savings, access to goods and increased services are also persuasive to many people in the current financial climate.

We will be continuing to run workshops throughout the next year and will be offering sessions in the following subject areas:

• Digital Photography

• Accessing the Internet

• Skype

• Email

• Family History

• Digital Storytelling

• Mobile Phones

• Tablet Computing

• Shopping and Banking Online

• Job Searching

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Word Processing

• Internet Safety

• Publishing

• Website Design

• Community Journalism

Link in to our new blog at www.skettyparkonline.co.uk