Melksham charity opens its doors for internet café fundraiser

DURING national Spring Online week, local training charity The Learning Curve is holding an internet café style fundraising event for its nominated charity of 2014, Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline.

Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline was set up after the nuclear disaster to help children who continue to suffer from thyroid cancer, bone cancer and leukaemia as a result of the radioactive fallout.

The charity enables children to come to the UK for recuperative breaks, as well as supporting local projects in Belarus. Wiltshire branches of the charity run networks of families who host visiting children from Belarus, as well as operating a charity shop in Old Town, Swindon.

The Learning Curve’s ‘Cake and Click’ fundraising event takes place on Wednesday 2nd April between 10.00am and 2.00pm at its training centre at Challeymead Business Park, Melksham, and coincides with national Spring Online week.

Visitors will have the opportunity to make use of the IT suite facilities with the support of friendly tutors, whilst enjoying home baked cakes. Visitors will also have the opportunity to find out about the wide range of IT courses offered at The Learning Curve’s Melksham centre and across Wiltshire, many of which are free and lead to recognised qualifications.

Spring Online is an award-winning national initiative that makes it possible for thousands of people, often older people, to try out using computers and tablets and the internet, many for the first time. This year, between 31st March – 4th April 2014, thousands of free taster events and sessions will be held by volunteers and organisations across the UK to help and inspire local people achieve a lasting use of the internet.

Kathryn Roynon, HR Manager at The Learning Curve said, “The Spring Online initiative is particularly relevant in our unique county.

“Rural isolation can be hugely detrimental to the wellbeing of Wiltshire’s residents, especially those who are older and more vulnerable. However, one way of tackling this isolation is by getting our residents online. By being online, we have access to pretty much every service the county has to offer, whilst also being able to communicate with friends and family across the world. By combating digital exclusion, residents of even our most rural towns and villages can become less isolated.”

In addition to the Cake and Click open day, The Learning Curve offers free Get Online courses at libraries and other community venues across Wiltshire.
For further information please contact The Learning Curve on 01225 792500.