Mansfield Library is hosting an event to help people get online as part of National Volunteers Week, which runs until 12th June.

The event tomorrow is aimed at creating more Nottinghamshire Digital Champions.

It will run from 4-6pm at the Meeting Place, Mansfield Central Library, West Gate, Mansfield.

To attend, register your interest at www.digitalchampionsnetwork.com/content/nottinghamshire-digital-champions

More than 60 volunteers have taken part in the Nottinghamshire Digital Champions project since its launch 12 months ago.

One of them is Milly Alonso, a housing officer for Mansfield District Council. She registered as a Nottinghamshire Digital Champion as part of a digital inclusion initiative in two local sheltered schemes and has been encouraging other volunteers to do the same.

Milly said: “The internet can open up a whole new world for people and can make a massive difference to reducing social isolation and loneliness. We are really keen to help our elderly residents with being online so they can be more empowered, be better in touch with friends and family and essentially be part of modern society.

“I am currently setting up classes in the community centres of two local sheltered schemes where we’ve had lots of residents asking for support with developing their digital skills. I’ve been busy enlisting volunteers to help with this and that’s where the Nottinghamshire Digital Champions Network has made a real difference.

“Each volunteer uses the Network to learn how to engage and inspire people with using the internet. It’s another great reason for volunteers to get involved as they get a chance to develop their own digital skills too through the online courses.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing our classes in action over the next few months and seeing how a little help with being online can make a big difference to our residents.”

Thanks to the £29m Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire (BBfN) programme, which the County Council is delivering in partnership with BT, there is now greater availability of good quality broadband in the county than ever before, with 95.5% of homes and businesses able to access superfast speeds.

Coun Diana Meale, chair of the Economic Development Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Thanks to our on-going BBfN roll-out, Nottinghamshire has some of the best broadband availability in the whole country, yet more than 80,000 Nottinghamshire residents have never used the internet.

“It’s vital that people understand the benefits of being online and how easy and quick it can make tasks like staying in touch with family and friends, viewing films and catch-up TV, shopping, accessing public services, finding information or applying for jobs. That’s where the Digital Champions come in.”

The Digital Champions Network is managed and delivered on behalf of the County Council by Digital Unite, a specialist provider of services to promote digital skills. Digital Unite provide training and on-going support to Nottinghamshire Digital Champions.