![\"Age](\"https:\/\/www.idnet.net\/news\/i\/Age_UK_logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"U3A\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.idnet.net\/news\/i\/U3A_logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen I retired I wanted to do something worthwhile, to contribute to my local community so when I saw an advert for people to help with basic computer skills at a local Age UK branch it was a no brainer for me. They organised my CRB checks and off I went doing home visits and various format training sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This led onto offering my services to a local council run centre who ran ad hoc classes and further developed to my actively contributing to a monthly U3A Technology Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the local centre I do one-to-one sessions, typically for 1 hour and there is no set syllabus. It isn’t a course as such, it is basically anything the \u2018customer\u2019 is having trouble with. From using email to using their tablet, and from using switching sites to get the best deals for their utilities to keeping in touch with far-flung family via Skype. The organisation is a non-profit setup, so I do these sessions for the huge sum of \u00a34 per hour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I find it worrying that people with absolutely no knowledge of computing often have no guidance as to what kit they actually need and what they don’t, and can frequently come out of a high street store with a new device with a far higher spec and add-ons that they really need. If I’m lucky, I can offer guidance before they take the plunge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, older people are often resistant to change and are \u2018conditioned\u2019 to stay with familiar organisations. For example, people of a certain vintage might typically want to stick with BT for their phone + internet as a \u2018tried & trusted\u2019 organisation, much the same as they would’ve gone with the \u2018Gas Board\u2019 and \u2018Electricity Board\u2019 in days of old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I often point out the benefits of choosing a smaller, UK based, more personalised ISP, such as IDNet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People are often mistakenly enticed by special offers, introductory deals and free routers but it is not until they hit problems with slow speeds or unreliable connections and then have to deal with offshore call centres, that they realise \u2018cost\u2019 is not always the only consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, frustrations aside, I enjoy what I do and am pleased to be able to give something back to society. I believe there should be more local schemes available for the elderly, there is obviously a need, even if it was run perhaps on a more commercial (but still low cost) basis.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people"],"yoast_head":"\n