Research shows the over 55s help themselves and each other to get more out of life online
Recent research from Digital Unite shows that the over 55s who are already using computers like learning new things, want to self-teach and can help to bring other older people online.
In a survey* conducted among the over 55s who are currently using the internet, nearly 9 out of 10 (88%) said they were willing to try something new and over half (54%) wanted to develop their computer and internet skills and knowledge further. Almost two-thirds were initially helped to get online by friends and family (62%) with 1 in 5 teaching themselves (22%) and 8 out of 10 (85%) are now subsequently using the internet daily or more than once a day. Nearly half (46%) have since helped other people aged over 55 to get online.
The research coincides with Digital Unite’s recent relaunch of its Learning Zone, one of the largest, independent online learning resources with over 200 computer and internet guides.
With 2 out of 5 (42%)* citing technical jargon as one of the most irritating aspects of using computers and the internet the Learning Zone offers a welcome relief for those looking for straightforward and jargon-free guidance and information to help them get more out of life online.
The launch of the Learning Zone also comes as the recent ONS survey** shows that the over 55s are hot on the heels of their younger counterparts when it comes to some of the activities they do online. A third (34%) of the older internet users have downloaded music and films, compared with 42% of those aged 16-24 years and similarly 18% of the over 55s have made internet telephone and video calls compared with 22% of younger internet users.
The easy-to-use Learning Zone guides cover a whole host of subjects, from mastering the basics and searching the web to keeping up with the new social networking trends and learning how to use the latest technology such as smartphones, kindles and games consoles. They are also a useful reference for those who are helping others to get online.
Among the most popular Learning Zone guides already being accessed are:
- How to use a computer keyboard
- How to turn on a computer
- How to download Skype
- How to use Twitter
- What is Google Plus
- Best games and puzzles
- Computer terms and internet jargon
Emma Solomon, Managing Director of Digital Unite said: “Digital Unite has over 15 years’ experience in helping older people get engaged with and start using digital technology. We know that once they have got started and they realise how much they can do online they want to keep on learning, dispelling the myth that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Our Learning Zone is a comprehensive and jargon-free information area that is both progressive and responsive and designed to help people of all ages share and enjoy the world of digital technology”.
*The Digital Unite online survey was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Digital Unite in April 2011. 526 people aged over 55 years who had been using the internet for 5 years or less were questioned.
**ONS Internet Access, Households and Individuals 2011.
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5 September 2011
Local organisations receive awards from Iain Duncan Smith MP for helping their communities get online
On Monday 5 September 2011 six local organisations from across the UK received awards at the Palace of Westminster in recognition of their successful Spring Online events in May which helped hundreds of older people learn about computers and the internet.
The six winning organisations were:
Age UK Oxfordshire – Joint Winner
Housing 21, Bristol - Joint Winner
Home Group, Newcastle upon Tyne - Runner Up
Andover Neighbourcare Internet Café - Highly Commended
Louth & District Seniors’ Forum - Highly Commended
Legal & General Cardiff / Age Concern Cardiff – Special Commendation for Employer Contribution
The awards were presented by the Right Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions and Emma Solomon, Managing Director of Digital Unite.
Digital Unite’s national Spring Online with Silver Surfers’ Day campaign takes place each year. This year, between 16-20 May, around 2,500 free digital taster events were held by local organisations across the UK, helping thousands of older people to learn about using computers and the internet. From Pontypridd to Belfast, Aberdeen to Truro, venues included schools, colleges, libraries, UK online centres, cafes, community centres, communal lounges, offices and even pubs.
The winning event holders for 2011 were chosen by a panel of external judges based on their originality, enthusiasm and the scope, reach and impact of their event.
Iain Duncan Smith MP said: “Most of us take computers and the internet for granted but for many older people and other less confident users, getting online is a daunting prospect. They feel isolated and disengaged and we need to do more. The winners’ participation in this year’s Spring Online campaign played a pivotal role in helping to bridge the digital divide and made a real and positive difference to their local communities. I congratulate them on their award success”.
Emma Solomon said: “The involvement in Spring Online 2011 of our winning event holders truly captured the essence of what our campaign is all about; community owned events that brought together local people of all ages and from all walks of life to share one common goal of learning about modern technology. These awards are richly deserved and, with the level of event holder participation right across the board being exceptionally high this year, very special too.”
The event also celebrated ten successful years of Silver Surfers’ Day, which since its inception in 2002, has helped around 150,000 older people engage with computers and the internet through activities such as Wii parties, Hawaiian days and Skype sessions.
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29 July 2011
Digital Unite’s Silver Surfers’ Day campaign scoops prestigious award
Digital Unite has received the national Nominet Internet Award for its Silver Surfers’ Day campaign in the category Building a Networked Nation.
The prestigious awards highlight UK companies, charities and individuals that are making a difference on or through the internet and the winners were announced at the London awards ceremony on Thursday 28 July 2011.
Digital Unite’s Silver Surfers’ Day campaign promotes the use of digital technologies by older people and other less confident users by encouraging and supporting local organisations all over the UK to run free taster sessions. Since it began 10 years ago it has successfully helped over 150,000 people engage with computers and the internet.
In 2011 Silver Surfers’ Day was extended to a week under the banner of Spring Online. Around 2,500 events took place from Pontypridd to Belfast, Edinburgh to Truro and venues included housing associations, hospitals, paper mills, pubs, village halls, libraries, schools, museums and offices. Visit http://www.springonline.org.uk
Emma Solomon, Managing Director of Digital Unite said: “We are absolutely delighted at receiving this Nominet Internet Award and for Silver Surfers’ Day to be recognised in this way. Over the years our campaign has helped tens of thousands of older people understand and start to use computers and the internet. It has been instrumental in helping to break down the digital divide and to tackle the issues of social exclusion and isolation by enabling older people to feel more part of modern society.
“The campaign and its growing success would not have been possible without the tremendous help and support from hundreds of local organisations and individuals. Each year these people throw open their doors and help to change people’s lives as they learn about the wonders of digital technology. Quite simply Silver Surfers’ Day would not have been the same without their active participation and as such we would very much like to share this exciting award with them.”
The Nominet Internet Awards highlights organisations or individuals who have undertaken specific projects which raise internet industry standards and showcase best practice. The entries were reviewed by an independent panel of judges chaired by the Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, and included Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet International, Dr Vicki Nash at the Oxford Internet Institute, Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics and Gail Bradbrook from Citizens Online and Graham Walker from Race Online 2012.
The awards are run in partnership with the Nominet Trust, a body which supports initiatives that contribute to a safe and accessible internet. The Awards highlights projects which are making the internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all. The winners will be showcased at the next Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting in Kenya, and will be held up as key examples of internet innovation from the UK, while bringing together, and improving, the global online community.
For the full list of winners, visit the Nominet Internet Awards website http://www.nominet.org.uk/about/internetawards/2011/?contentId=8557
20 July 2011
Spring Online Best Event Award 2011: winning finalists announced
Six of the ten event holder finalists have been chosen as winners for an award or special commendation as part of our Spring Online Best Event Awards 2011.
These winners together with the other finalists have been invited to a special Spring Online awards ceremony hosted by the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP in Westminster on Monday 5 September 2011 where they will receive their accolade.
In no particular order the winning finalists are:
- Andover Neighbourcare Silver Surfers’ Internet Café
- Age Concern Cardiff / Legal & General Cardiff
- Home Prime, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Louth and District Seniors’ Forum, Lincolnshire
Emma Solomon, Managing Director for Digital Unite said: ‘We were delighted at the high quality of entries this year which made our judges’ task particularly hard. We would like to thank all those who entered their event and we look forward to seeing the finalists at our ceremony in September.”
7 July 2011
Digital Unite to launch a new Digital Champion training qualification
Digital Unite is launching a new Digital Champion training qualification to help people learn how to use digital technologies and how to engage, inspire and teach others.
Through the launch of its new Academy in the autumn Digital Unite will offer accredited training to people who would like formal recognition of their digital champion skills, known as the Digital Champion ITQ.
Provided as part of the nationally recognised Information Technology Qualifications (ITQ) framework the Digital Champion ITQ can be taught in a face-to-face classroom environment or online via e-learning with remote support from one of Digital Unite’s experienced tutors. As part of their learning, students will create an online portfolio which evidences the skills and knowledge gained and which will be assessed by a tutor. There is also the option to gain a formal Level 2 City & Guilds accreditation as part of working through the syllabus.
As well as learning in detail about the commonly used digital technologies, participants will also be taught how to keep beginners engaged in the longer term, by planning events, drop-ins or surgeries and by gaining confidence in doing local PR and fundraising.
The project to develop the Digital Champion ITQ follows the receipt of a grant from the Cabinet Office Transition Fund and allows Digital Unite to build on its fifteen years’ experience of capacity building people and organisations to develop and deliver digital literacy.
Emma Solomon, Managing Director for Digital Unite said: “The Digital Unite Academy and the development of our new Digital Champion ITQ mark a natural progression for both Digital Unite and digital literacy in the main. We’re creating a much needed digital champion benchmark for people and organisations who want to develop and deliver digital literacy in a more structured way.
“With its comprehensive syllabus and flexible learning methods we believe the Academy and the Digital Champion ITQ will go a long way to supporting and encouraging many more users of digital technology. We are looking forward to rolling out the pilot in the autumn and subsequently making it more widely available by the end of the year.”
For more information on Digital Unite’s Digital Champion ITQ contact Judith Graham, Operations Manager on judith.graham@digitalunite.net / 0800 822 3951.
20 June 2011
Digital Unite shortlisted in prestigious 2011 Nominet Internet Awards
Digital Unite’s Silver Surfers’ Day campaign shortlisted in annual Internet awards, competing for recognition in the UK and global Internet community
Digital Unite and its Silver Surfers’ Day campaign have been shortlisted in the Nominet Internet Awards 2011, which highlights UK companies, charities and individuals which are making a difference on, or through, the internet.
Under the category Building A Networked Nation Digital Unite has been shortlisted for its long running Silver Surfers’ Day campaign which promotes the use of digital technologies by older people and other less confident users. Started ten years ago, the campaign has successfully helped over 150,000 people engage with computers and the internet by encouraging and supporting local organisations to run free taster sessions all over the UK. In 2011, Silver Surfers’ Day was extended to a week under the banner of Spring Online and saw around 2,500 events taking place from Pontypridd to Belfast, Edinburgh to Truro. Visit http://www.springonline.org for more information.
The Nominet Internet Awards, which aims to highlight organisations or individuals who have undertaken specific projects which raise Internet industry standards and showcase best practice, were reviewed by an independent panel of judges chaired by the Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, and included Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet International, Dr Vicki Nash at the Oxford Internet Institute and Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics.
The awards are run in partnership with the Nominet Trust, a body which supports initiatives that contribute to a safe and accessible internet. The Awards highlights projects which are making the internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all. The winners will be showcased at the next Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting in Kenya, and will be held up as key examples of internet innovation from the UK, while bringing together, and improving, the global online community.
For the full list of shortlisted organisations, visit the Nominet Internet Awards website http://www.nominet.org.uk/about/internetawards/?contentId=8452.
Emma Solomon, Managing Director of Digital Unite said:
“Our Silver Surfers’ Day campaign helps older people with improving their understanding and knowledge of computers and the internet. Over the years it has gone from strength to strength and has been instrumental in breaking down the digital divide, fuelling a desire to learn about computers and the internet and ultimately transforming lives. Much of the campaign’s success has been down to the hard work and active participation of our amazing event holders and being shortlisted for this year’s Nominet Internet Awards is just as much a celebration for them as it is for us.”
Lesley Cowley, CEO of Nominet says: “Each year we are impressed by the variety of ways the British businesses, charities and individuals continue to innovate to make the Internet a safe, accessible and helpful place for us all. The internet has the power to have a positive impact on society and these shortlisted entries represent a small, shining proportion of the phenomenal work taking place in the UK.”
Ends
About the Internet Awards
The Nominet Internet Awards is an annual competition which is aimed at UK individuals and organisations who are helping to make the internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for everyone who uses it. These awards celebrate great UK internet projects by recognising achievement and innovation.
Building on the success of the past four years, we will recognise those organisations, groups and individuals who have embraced the challenge of making the internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience. Winners will be promoted in the UK and internationally as examples of best practice. Supporters of the Nominet Internet Awards include MPs, industry leaders, civil institutions, businesses, public sector and academia.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on Thursday 28 July 2011.
About Nominet
Nominet is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for the smooth and secure running of the .uk Internet infrastructure. A public service ethos drives everything we do – we strive to make the Internet an ever more trusted space for everyone who uses it.
As one of the world’s largest Internet registries, we maintain a ‘directory’ of domain names ending in.uk, and run the technology which locates the computer hosting the website or email address you are looking for.
We set up and support the Nominet Trust, an independently run charity focussed on increasing access, safety and education on Internet issues.