Seniors surf space opens at Spillett House
4 Feb 2016
Seniors get online in the new ‘Surf Space’ at Spillett House
Through the assistance of an AUSPOST Our Neighbourhood Community Grant, COTA NT opened a ‘Surf Space for Seniors’ at Spillett House. Originally dubbed the ‘Surf Shack’, the name had to change as ‘shack’ didn’t do justice to the modern inviting, clean and quiet classroom environment we’ve created – but more importantly, we now have a space where seniors can access the Internet, as well as training and support.
With so much essential information being published and delivered online, COTA NT knows it is highly important for seniors to keep their communication skills up to date and become more comfortable and familiar with the Internet. This dedicated classroom enables seniors to access the Internet (at no charge) and find out what’s happening locally, nationally, and of course, globally.
A volunteer COTA NT Peer Educator is available to offer structured tuition on Friday mornings (places are limited and must be booked first). This tuition covers: cyber safety, turning machines off/on, locating and opening Internet browsers, using search engines, accessing websites and webpages, navigating key seniors’ websites such as: https://www.cotant.org.au/, http://www.myagedcare.gov.au/, http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/dhs/centrelink, http://www.dcm.nt.gov.au/strong_community/seniors and more.
An introduction to email (how to open an account, receive and send emails,) and social media (i.e. how to set up and use a Facebook account) can also be provided.
COTA volunteers will also be offering support for users on Mondays and Wednesdays mornings. Again with the help of our volunteer trainers, we will continue to develop ‘take-home’ and training materials. Later in the year, we will be scheduling extension classes to include use of Office software (Word and Excel) and basic computing skills.
Access to the space is during Spillett House opening hours, Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm and must be booked in advance on 8941 1004.
Tags: Seniors Voice
