FEATURES
Local community heroes Cath Heslop, NWR Membership Officer, Central Region, has been finding out about an exciting project aimed at connecting people in rural communities with the digital world. Could you help?
One of CDA’s digital inclusion sessions at Little Hadham village hall, Hertfordshire
Whilst compiling contributions from members about their Covid experience for the NWR 2022 Annual it struck me how, for many, their NWR group played such an important part in keeping their spirits up and as a way of maintaining contact with others. It was a delight to read, and gave me a sense of pride to be part of an organisation where our members are there for one another. It has been well documented how the pandemic led to an upsurge in people wanting to support their local community and I wanted to find out whether this has continued now that we are no longer in lockdown and the government is relaxing Covid restrictions. I spoke to Stuart Izzard, Projects Officer at Community Development Action Herts, about two projects he has been involved with that get right into the heart of volunteering in the local community. CDA Herts supports and develops Hertfordshire’s rural communities and businesses. Stuart told me that with so many pubs, post offices and shops closing in these areas there is less opportunity for people to meet up. Buy a digital copy of the 2022 NWR Annual for £2. https://nwr.org. uk/news/nwrannual-2022-2021-09-30/
Rural support networks Covid has had one positive impact in this respect, spurring people to look out for others and bringing back a sense of community. When the country went into lockdown rural support networks sprang up, comprised of local people who wanted to get together to help members of their community who were in need. Stuart and his colleagues at CDA set out to gather the details of all such groups based in Hertfordshire. He found that the majority of the volunteers were women over the age of 50, they were often formed out of groups such as the village hall committee, church group, parish council and the WI. Stuart told me that at least 50% of the groups are still in regular contact with CDA, 94% of which are still active, with their focus shifted to supporting people to get back to normal. CDA provides support to help the groups keep running and assists with obtaining funding for items such as printing leaflets and volunteer expenses.
Digital inclusion project When Stuart spoke about the digital inclusion project he is running in Little Hadham, Herts, it was clear that this is a topic close to his heart. This project aims to help people get connected to the digital world.
Why get connected? in touch with friends and family ■■ Hear local news ■■ Access to local services and information ■■ Book medical appointments ■■ Save money by searching for the best deals online ■■ Access to cheaper utilities tariffs ■■ Access to banking services ■■ Entertainment – games and hobbies ■■ Reduce reliance on others A classroom set-up had been envisaged for the sessions, but they quickly learned that this was not the best approach. “There was a need for support and advice. People were bringing in their own devices and required one to one support to overcome their particular problem.” While some were complete novices and needed general help to get them set up, the most common issues were what to do if you forget your password, not having an email account, synching devices and transferring photos. CDA were also on hand to help people apply for bus passes, order shopping online, set up Zoom and Facetime sessions and play word games. They have their regulars who come every week. The sessions always end with tea and cake and an opportunity to chat about what they have covered. Stuart estimated that about 60% of the people who attend are women and most are aged over 65. Not in Hertfordshire, but would like some support getting online? AgeUK run the One Digital programme, call AgeUK on 0800 678 1174 to ask for details. Could you be a Digital Champion? Stuart insisted that you don’t need to be an IT expert to help others, his volunteers are normal users who are willing to give up their time to help others. He is looking for help with other groups he is starting in Hertfordshire. AgeUK also have a campaign to recruit Digital Champions nationwide. ■■ Stay
www.cdaherts.org.uk www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/ volunteer/become-an-age-uk-digitalbuddy/ NWR Magazine Spring 2022
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