Digital Masterclass for Involved Residents
10 Involved Residents from The Wrekin Housing Group, have recently been given a masterclass on Digital Confidence. It focused on basic digital skills and the use of video software to enable better communication and continued scrutiny, thanks to volunteers from Barclays.
The aim of the session was to engage these residents and break down any fears they may have about using video software technology, as well as offering advice about using devices such as tablets and smartphones.
The whole session took place virtually via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 26 November 2020.The charity, Volunteering Matters, arranged for four members of staff from Barclays to spend time with the residents, preparing an interactive presentation.
Jiten Mistry from Barclays said: The team at Barclays appreciated the opportunity to participate in the workshop. It was an interactive session filled with laughter where we hopefully managed to dispel any fears of using video calling technology. In both our personal and professional lives, we are all increasing the use of such technology and encourage the residents to build upon what they have learned. Special thanks to Wrekin Housing Group and Volunteering Matters for arranging it.
Sean Turnbull from Volunteering Matters said: Across the communities we work with at Volunteering Matters, we’ve seen an increasing need for support with computer literacy and digital skills. During the pandemic, many individuals have been cut off from activities and lost access to social groups, leading to many feeling lonely or isolated. Supporting people to feel confident and at home with technology is the first step to maintaining vital links with friends, family and other support groups while they cannot see them in person.
With their experience of regularly using technology combined with their excellent customer service, the Barclays volunteers were the perfect match for Wrekin, supporting the residents to feel at ease and pick up several skills they’d never dared to try before on their devices.
David Lewis, Co-Regulation Co-Ordinator at Wrekin, said: “With the difficulties this year has brought, we are not able to get together with our Involved Residents as we would like. However, they have all embraced the digital world and are getting used to video calls. This workshop built on the skills they already had and really boosted their confidence in a fun way. The volunteers from Barclays were excellent.”
One tech savvy Involved Resident is Laura Hilditch, who said: “the volunteers spoke to us as colleagues and that really made a difference, we also had great fun. I am much more confident now.”
At Wrekin, we work in partnership with our customers to provide the right services. There are a number of ways that customers can get involved from Real Shoppers to being a Panel member and the feedback we get helps us to make a difference. You can find out more on the Involved Resident page or email getinvolved@wrekin.com if you would like to volunteer.
8th January 2021