'Silver surfers' at Age Concern Isle of Man’s lifelong learning centres are set to benefit from a Freedom to Flourish initiative, thanks to the programme’s Isle of Man Champions funding the purchase of 10 laptops.
Freedom to Flourish marketing consultant Alistair Audsley said: ‘This is yet another example of the Isle of Man Champions translating the Freedom to Flourish vision into a practical reality – in this case by supporting digital inclusion for the over-50s and making a palpable difference by giving them the tools to help them improve their skills and satisfy the demands of today’s increasingly challenging workplace.’
Age Concern drop-in centre client Thomas Looney, part-time curator at the Manx Transportation Museum in Peel said: ‘Learning computer skills and being able to search the net has made a real difference to me. It’s provided a way of finding transport images to add to the museum’s collection and helped give me a greater insight into the Island’s past.’
While for Age Concern client Isobel Kelly access to digital inclusion has added a new dimension to her working and home life. She said: ‘I decided to re-enter the workplace and look for some part-time work. I secured a seasonal lecturing post, although I wasn’t familiar with how to use a computer and, as a part-time member of staff, I rarely met up with my colleagues to discuss work issues. But now, having being trained at the centre in computer skills on one of the laptops, all that has changed; now I can email my fellow lecturers, in addition to which I email friends and family, as it’s so quick and easy.’
Age Concern Isle of Man is one of 33 Isle of Man Champions, all of whom have been invited by the Chief Minister to join the programme and share a common commitment to help shape the Island’s future. The charity’s chief executive Penny Creighton MBE said: ‘We were delighted to have been one of the early signatories to Freedom to Flourish and we unequivocally support the programme’s vision of social cohesion by doing whatever we can to improve people’s quality of life. We’re committed to demystifying computer technology - our last Silver Surfer promotion was an unqualified success and demonstrated there was a very real desire among the over-50s to seize the opportunities presented by the internet revolution - so we are indebted to the Isle of Man Champions for funding these 10 new laptops and helping us further “digital inclusion not exclusion” for older people.’