Older people challenging isolation and exclusion
Details of this scheme are on page 50-plus device bank laptops
You can read about the national scheme at the main website – goodthingsfoundation.org/national-device-bank
15 March 2023: we have distributed all the Device Bank smartphones. For information about future offers, please keep in touch with us.
You can read about the national scheme at the main website – goodthingsfoundation.org/national-device-bank
We have already distributed our first batch of refurbished smartphones — gifted to people with low incomes (eg- Universal Credit, Pension Credit, etc).
Not sure if you are eligible? Ask us!
They are all the same model — Galaxy XCover 4s — robust business phones in excellent condition — ideal for people whose primary IT needs are not recreational. With each phone, we provide a SIM card with free mobile data for at least six months.
We have set them up to be suitable for older people who might be relative digital beginners, prioritising accessibility, usability, privacy and security. Initially they resemble the devices you use on our smartphone training courses. Of course, you can do whatever you like with them afterwards, and you may expect continued support at our weekly digital drop-in.
Q1: When can I get one, and how?
A1: Find us at the weekly Digital Drop-in. For further details — keep in touch with us.
Q2: Does where I live affect my eligibiliity?
A2: For the smartphone scheme, you should be a resident of any London borough.
Q3: I’m using an old Nokia phone. Will I be able to upgrade my brain to smartphone standard?
A3: You are probably 100% eligible. Most recipients so far had an old Nokia before, and have found that smartphones are actually quite easy to use — and quick access to the internet has made their lives more cheerful.
NB (15 March): winter has officially finished, so has the funding for this winter project.
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.
The best place to listen is radiotogether.uk/hardeep — but as you are here now, try the playlist below …
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 …
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.
You can read about this scheme at the main website – goodthingsfoundation.org/databank
Think of it like a food bank but for internet connectivity data – a free SIM card with a free mobile data plan.
The scheme has started. You can read about it on page The 50-Plus Databank.
NB: this event has finished.
The aim of this event is to provide you with information and practical support on four priority areas affected by the cost of living crisis: money, energy, food and staying connected.
Organised by MRS – Independent Living
NB: these events have finished.
This was the first of two urgent sessions for older people who need help to apply for Council tax energy rebate or Pension Credit and cost of living payment — before it is too late to claim.
35 people turned up — most needing this extra support — so we were very busy. Even with nine helpers (including the industrious CSR team from Methods), we had not quite finished, so we will carry on next week.
We didn’t have time to make photos.
Volunteer teams from city firms have always – for least 12 years – been the most popular attraction at the digital drop-in. Then the pandemic stopped all CSR events – even before the first lockdown.
So we were delighted to welcome our first team for three years, from Methods — who provided effective 1:1 help for at least 15 older people — and incidentally reduced the pressure on our regular peer support team, so the total number helped was more than 30.