Drop-in internet party

Reviving a 50+ Digital tradition

The first Digital Drop-in on the month is also a party

Starting Wednesday 4 October, the first drop-in of the month will double up as a party event — same digital drop-in with bonus festivity and refreshments.

Please come with your usual drop-in hopes, aspirations and intentions.

Party MC this month (possibly every month) is DJ Mumbles. Music from the internet (that’s the digital angle).

Food hub at Mildmay, 23 May 2023

Mildmay Community Radio

Talking about food, on the garden deck

NB: this activity has finished.

Tuesday 23 May, 2 – 3:30 pm

A sunshiny event with people involved in the Mildmay Food Hub and Community Cook-up projects.

Is that you? Come and talk to us about what you do and how the food projects help local residents.

Everyone else is welcome, especially if you volunteer at any other community food project.

Mildmay Community Radio launch, May 2023

Two community radio launches

NB: these workshops have finished.

Our plans for the launch of Mildmay Community Radio – from the garden deck of the centre – have been thwarted several times by unusually adverse weather. We can’t do al fresco radio if it’s cold or wet outside.

So we will launch it twice and you are invited to both …

  • Indoors: a pre-launch activity in the main hall, Monday 15 May, 2-4 pm.
  • Outdoors: the planned launch on the garden deck, Tuesday 16 May, 2-3:30 pm.

Pre-launch: community digital radio is easy

Monday 15 May, 2 – 4 pm

This will be a normal Monday afternoon learning event in the main hall. We will demonstrate the equipment we use for internet radio and podcasts — and hopefully convince you that this is something you could do yourself at home. Everybody can have a go.

It will be live internet radio, not a short podcast episode. The acoustics on the main hall are not good, so professional sound quality will not be on the menu – but we will at least have got something started.

We have also set up all our training phones to pick up the live stream. So you will have an easy way to listen (though not yet to phone in).

Actual launch: open air internet radio

Tuesday 16 May, 2 – 3:30 pm

We can do this on the garden deck (outside the café area) – provided the weather is on our side. The outdoor acoustics are usually excellent, and our equipment can handle most intrusive noises.

The provisional topic is Mildmay Community Centre itself – and what older people can achieve there.

What actually happens

Everyone who turns up is a part of fluid studio audience. But not all at once. We have 4 microphones, so up to 4 people can be part of the conversation – while the others wait their turn.

The conversation picked up by the microphones is streamed to an online radio server. Anyone who knows the link can listen.

By the way – here is the link: live.radiotogether.uk (when there is no live talk stream, the server just sends a loop of recorded birdsong).

Internet radio: pure digital partcipation

You don’t need any digital skills to participate. The important skills are the skills you have been learning for decades – talking and listening, sharing your life experiences as an older person who remembers life before the internet.

Got questions or suggestions?

Bring them to the Monday event.

11 January 2023 – Multigenerational at Mildmay

A young woman wearing a HausOfShee top and a much older African-Caribbean man. They are examining the contents of a SIM card pack.
Whitney, Data Bank SIM card, Walter

Social and digital inclusion in practice

Sheena Adae-Amoakoh – owner of local hair stylist HausOfShee – brought friends Akela and Whitney to help at the Digital Drop-in, 11 January 2023. Photos by Elliot Jones – based at Point Two Studio.

These community-conscious young volunteers are local entrepreneurs. Your grandchildren might know them.


Tap or click on any photo in the gallery to see a larger version, or start a slide-show (if you are not quite sure how to do that, please ask a helper).

Elliot made a lot more photos. They are all very good, but we can’t publish them all here. However – if you are in one of Elliot’s photos, we will make sure you get a copy – in your email (you might need practice opening and saving photo attachments).


This session reminded us of the Pre-Pandemic Era, when we hosted more than 700 corporate volunteers via Benefacto from 2014 until COVID wrecked everything. Those volunteers were all really impressive – and made a huge, and memorable, impact.

We think employers (or HR departments) might be regaining confidence, though no enterprise has replaced Benefacto. But we are ready to help.


Update 18 January

We are sending the photos to you by email (because downloading and managing photos is a useful digital skill for you to learn).

Daniel liked his so much, he got it printed – apparently for less than £1.

Wednesday Winter Warmer lunch breaks

Free food at Mildmay Community Centre

NB (15 March): winter has officially finished, so has the funding for this winter project.

Hot soup and stew, 12:30 to 1:30 pm, every Wednesday (until 15 March)

This is a perfect fit to our Wednesday afternoon Digital Drop-in, 1 to 4 pm.

The food is served in the café area, next to the kitchen (not in the Main Hall).

Our suggestion – get there early at 12:30 – replenish your vitamins and build up your stamina for the drop-in starting at 1 pm.


The free food is organised by Mildmay Community Centre, not by Fifty-Plus Digital.

Hardeep’s World

Hardeep has her own podcast show

The best place to listen is radiotogether.uk/hardeep — but as you are here now, try the playlist below …

You could be a podcast host too

No technical skills required — just the ability to tell a story about your life or ask someone else to tell you a story.

We take care of the tech, but you can learn that as well if you really want to. There are many ways to make your own podcast show, even if all you have is a smartphone.

If you are interested, come over to the regular podcast learning session …

  • Friday afternoons, 2 to 4 pm.
  • Thingy Café (at Arbeit Studios), 1 Trowbridge Gardens, E9 5LD
  • The entrance is actually in Chapman Rd.
  • Nearest bus stop: 30, 488 (both very close). 276 Berkshire Road stop is also close.
  • Rail: Hackney Wick (7 minutes walk).
  • Google Map – g.page/thingypeople
  • Refreshments for participants when you get there.

Sometimes we skip a Friday afternoon session, so it’s best to contact us before coming (send an email to rick@radiotogether.uk )


Radio Together is not organised by MRS – Independent Living.