Two pensioners who completed IT courses with The Learning Curve in Melksham are the new stars of a national campaign which aims to inspire people to get online and see what they could do with the internet.
Doreen Milner, 78, and Stella Cruse, 80, only recently learned how to use computers and the internet themselves, and have had so much fun they wanted to help others – especially those over 65 – do the same.
Get Online Week (13th-19th October) runs annually and sees thousands of local events take place up and down the country, advertised with local posters and leaflets. Each year, those adverts inspire around 50,000 people to give the internet a go. Doreen and Stella volunteered to take part, but still couldn’t believe it when the organisers – Tinder Foundation – called up to tell them they were going to be models, and then came round for a professional photo shoot!
Doreen said, “I can’t believe I’m the face of a national campaign – I never for a moment thought I’d be a model!”
“Isn’t it silly at our age? Stella agreed, adding, ‘but it has been a bit of a giggle, and if it inspires anyone else to get going with computers and the internet it was well worth it!”
Stella and Doreen were introduced to the internet – and to each other – by The Learning Curve, a UK online centre in Melksham that runs free ‘absolute beginners’ courses at local libraries across Wiltshire.
Stella said, “Absolute beginners was a perfect description for us! We had no idea what we were doing.”
Doreen added, “Luckily, we met our tutor Jan, and then we met each other, and I think we both started to feel a lot better and a lot less nervous pretty quickly. Jan explained that we couldn’t break anything and nothing was going to explode, and we all had a bit of a laugh. We’ve not stopped since, really.”
Stella is amazed by how far she and Doreen have come in such a short time. She said, “There’s no denying that when you know practically nothing about computers, the first few sessions are quite hard work. Fortunately we’ve never been afraid of hard work, and now Doreen and I can do all sorts of things online that we’d never even imagined. For instance, we’re both very keen gardeners, and it’s amazing how much gardening information is out there on the internet. For instance I’ve found out some fascinating stuff about the original apple blossom geranium, including some beautiful pictures.”
Doreen added, “The other week we did research into St Paul’s Cathedral, which was fascinating. Then we looked up some information on Yorkshire – a place we’ve both spent time in our younger days. It was lovely to look at Harrogate on Google maps and see buildings I recognise and streets I’ve walked down.”
Stella said, “I’d say to other people of our age who aren’t online that it’s high time to get with it!”
Doreen agreed, saying, “Quite right! It’s a great way to keep the grey matter going, a great way to follow your hobbies, and a great way to meet people.
“Computers and the internet aren’t going away, and using them really can be enjoyable. Stella and I are living proof – we’re having a great time!”
There are an estimated 9.5 million people in the UK like Doreen and Stella who don’t have the basic online skills to make the most of technology in everyday life. An estimated four million of those have never been online at all. If you would like to follow in Doreen and Stella’s footsteps and see what you could do online, The Learning Curve is holding a free Get Online Week open day on Wednesday 15th October from 10.00am to 2.00pm at their newly opened learning centre at Unit 3 Challeymead Business Park in Melksham.
The event will give people the opportunity to have a go at getting online using tablets and computers with the support of friendly tutors as well as finding out about the range of IT courses on offer. In internet café style, visitors will be able to enjoy home-made refreshments in return for a charity donation. Money raised will be split between improving access to The Learning Curve’s new first floor learning centre and supporting its staff nominated charity of the year, Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline.
For more information on Get Online courses running at local libraries across Wiltshire like the one which Doreen and Stella completed, contact The Learning Curve on 01225 792500.
