Nottinghamshire County Council is calling on local residents to join their growing community of Digital Champions as part of national Get Online Week (12-18 October).

An estimated 10.5 million people across the UK don’t have ‘basic digital skills’ meaning they can’t send an email or search the web and are missing out on the benefits digital technology can provide. In Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire approximately 218,000 people have never used the internet, equivalent to around 1 in 7 local residents.

In May this year the County Council launched the Nottinghamshire Digital Champions Network (NDCN) as part of the Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire Programme. The aim of the NDCN is to create and support a team of Digital Champions who can help residents and businesses get the most out of life online. So far over 40 volunteers have got involved to help. Joe Bonser, 74 years, lives in Mansfield and is one of the Digital Champions.

Joe said: “I retired when I was 65 years and my health is not great but I’m keen to stay active and be involved with my local community. I have always played around with computers and am reasonably confident with the internet so when I heard about the Nottinghamshire Digital Champions Network I thought it was just what I was looking for”.

“I’ve done some of the training via the Network’s online courses which gives you confidence in your ability and makes you aware of what you don’t know and am now looking at setting up some cyber cafes at a couple of community halls.

“I’d like to see if I can help two groups; people who are aware of computers but don’t know much about them and people who don’t see the benefits of being online at all. One of my friends wanted to know about some local roadworks but didn’t have any interest in using computers until I showed her how to find out the information really quickly via the Council’s website.

“I’m working on the basis that, to start with, I’ll always know a bit more which makes me feel able to help others. And it’s about working out what learners really want to learn about. One lady I know just wants to be able to Skype and FaceTime her daughter in New Zealand. I think that’s where being a Digital Champion can make a real difference”.

Councillor Diana Meale, Chair of Economic Development Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire programme will make our county one of the most digitally connected places in the UK, but the advantage of having such great broadband coverage will only be realised if local people and businesses can see the massive benefits getting online can bring to them.

“Digital Champions, like Joe, are doing a great job in spreading the word in our communities that getting online is not such a scary place and it can provide great opportunities to learn, stay in touch with family and friends, do business or just be entertained.”

For more information about the scheme and how to get involved visit www.digitalchampionsnetwork/nottinghamshire or email [email protected]

Get Online Week is a national digital inclusion campaign which takes place between 12 – 18 October 2015. Its aim is to show thousands of people how being online can make their lives a little easier. For details go to http://getonlineweek.com/

Pictured is Nottinghamshire County Council’s Councillor Diana Meale with ‘digital champion’ Joe Bonser and wife Doreen.