18th – 24th October 2021 is Get Online Week and it’s not too late to get involved!
Whether it’s making one of your existing activities a ‘Get Online Week special’ and bringing a bit of digital into someone’s day, signing up to one of our webinars to learn how you can do more with digital, signposting someone to one of our partners’ Get Online Week activities, or finally signing your organisation up to the Online Centres Network, there’s plenty of ways for you and your organisation to get involved with Get Online Week 2021.
Make your existing event, activity, or session a ‘Get Online Week Special’
If you’ve got a few bits of digital equipment like a couple of tablets, you can find a way to bring a bit of digital into an existing event, activity, or session in a way that is easy, fun, and engaging, and you might even inspire someone to take their first steps with digital.
Top tips from the 100% Digital Leeds team to help you bring a bit of digital in to someone’s day:
- You don’t need to be an IT expert or to have done any digital stuff before, it’s about raising awareness of the benefits of being online and celebrating that.
- Your activity doesn’t have to be a digital one to start with – in fact it’s often better if it isn’t! You can bring a bit of digital into anything, just think about the digital tools or apps that might engage attendees and make your session even better. Check out how Carers Leeds have brought digital in to their walking group sessions using apps that help people identify plants and flowers and see how Leeds Irish Health and Homes use digital to bring Irish music and television in to their Lunch Clubs.
- Don’t try and make it all about digital, try combining digital activities with offline activities. For example a ‘Games Day’ could have regular board games and jigsaws alongside some tablets with game and jigsaw apps out for people to try, too.
- Make the digital part fun and easy to engage with. Simple things like games, music, and video, can help draw people in and help them start building the confidence to take on more serious things you might want to show them, like emails and eSafety.
- Share the things you enjoy and feel confident using! If you’re excited about a tool or app the people are more likely to be excited, too. The digital things you use day-to-day might not feel new or innovative to you, but they will be to other people. People love things like Google Earth and you can even make Google Maps exciting!
- If you’re promoting your activity or event try to avoid mentioning ‘digital’ and ‘online’ too much to avoid putting off people who aren’t online and might not see a digital themed event as ‘for them’. Sell the non-digital element, and maybe include phrases such as “Join in fun activities, find out more and try and something new”. If it’s an existing session with regular attendees you probably don’t need to advertise at all!
- Get Online Week is about fun and celebration, and what’s a party without cake and a cuppa?
Sign up to one of our ‘Embedding Digital’ workshops
We’re hosting two online workshops during Get Online Week, both free of charge and open to all. Both workshops are practical, informal sessions where you can learn from others what has worked for them, ask questions, and come away inspired and full of ideas about how you can incorporate some fun and engaging digital in to your events, sessions, and activities.
Both workshops are perfect for you tick one or more of these boxes:
- You work with people with people who may have low digital skills and confidence
- You work in the fields of digital inclusion or have an interest
- You work with communities
- You want to find out more about how to support people to go online
- You’re a Digital Champion
- You work in a care home or care setting
- You work with people living with dementia
Embedding digital inclusion into your existing activities
We’ll hear from organisations across the city who are supporting people to try new things online, building their confidence and skills with digital whilst they attend a coffee morning, memory café, bingo session or even an art group. They will share some hints and tips for how to do this within your existing activities and share apps, online tools and resources that are great for people with low digital skills to inspire them to take their first steps online, building confidence and motivation with tech. This is with planning, approach, equipment and delivery to ensure an inclusive meaningful experience.
Online tools to support and inspire people to go online
When supporting people to overcome digital inclusion barriers and go online it’s good to use tools and apps that link to their hobbies and interests. In this informal and interactive session an exciting national partner (we can’t say who yet!) will share a range of really useful apps, online resources and great tools to inspire people to take their first steps online. They will cover a range of themes from hobbies and interests to tools to support people to manage their health and wellbeing online. Supporting a person-centred approach in empowering people to do the things they want to do online and enabling them to have greater access to a wide range of opportunities. Brilliant for people with low digital skills and confidence, to reduce the potential fears around the online world and making it enjoyable and fun!
Encourage people to drop in to a Get Online Week event
We’re excited to see so much Get Online Week activity taking place across Leeds next week – can you help to make sure everyone knows about them? For people lacking digital skills and confidence, or those who don’t see themselves as ‘digital people’, support, encouragement and signposting is key to them taking their first steps with digital. If you can tell people about one of the events happening next week, chat to them about the positives, and encourage them to attend, you can help our partners reach the right people and really make a difference.
What’s on in Leeds for Get Online Week 2021
MHA Communities South Leeds: Breakfast Buddies
Tuesday 19th October, 9.00am-11.00am, St Andrew’s Community Centre, Beeston
Come and have breakfast with us, try something new and have a good natter! Learn about all the digital support available. (Transport available) – Contact the centre: 01132716201
Cross Gates Good Neighbours: Coffee Morning
Tuesday 19th October, 10:00am – 12:00pm, Cross Gates & District Good Neighbours’ Scheme CIO, Station Road, Cross Gates, Leeds LS15 7JY
Find out more about getting online, borrow a tablet, sign up for computer lessons, or just get some friendly advice.
Leeds Libraries: Digital drop-ins
- Tuesday 19th October, 11:00am – 12:00pm: Hunslet Community Hub & Library
- Tuesday 19th October, 1:30pm – 2:30pm: Compton Community Hub & Library
- Thursday 21st October, 10:30am – 11:30am: Armley Community Hub & Library
- Thursday 21st October, 2:00pm – 3:30pm: Leeds Central Library
Need help to use your tablet, smartphone or computer to try something new, say hello or get tech savvy? Come along with your device and talk to our friendly librarians who will answer any questions about digital you may have.
BITMO GATE: Coffee Morning
Wednesday 20th October, 10:30am – 12:00pm, BITMO GATE, Aberfield Drive
We’ll have devices for you to try and staff on hand to answer your digital questions over hot drinks and treats! You’re welcome to bring your own device if you’d like to. For more information or an online link, please call 0113 378 2190, text/WhatsApp 07891 274237 or email gate@belleisletmo.co.uk
MAECare: Digital 121 sessions
Wednesday 20th October, 12:00pm – 3:00pm, 57 Cranmer Bank, Leeds, LS17 5JD
Support with all your digital questions and queries, whether you just need a bit of help or you’re starting from scratch. Call 0113 2660371 for more information.
Neighbourhood Action In Farnley, New Farnley & Moor Top – ‘Let’s Get Digital’ with Jessica
Wednesday 20th October, 2:00pm – 4:00pm, 307 Lower Wortley Road, Leeds, LS12 4QA
Call into the office if you would like some help with getting online or have any queries regarding your existing device, or just come and see us for some tea and biscuits! All welcome! 0113 2632945
Middleton Elderly Aid: Digital Drop-In
Thursday 21st October, 1:30pm – 3:30pm, Middleton Elderly Aid Social Centre, Acre Road, Middleton, LS10 4LF
Staff and volunteers are here to help you with any online issues from applying for blue badges, online banking, or just shopping online. Refreshments and cake provided.
Holbeck Together: Coffee and Connect Morning
Friday 22nd October, 10:00am – 12:00pm, St Matthews Community Centre, Holbeck, Leeds
We will have devices for you to try and staff/ volunteers on hand to answer your digital questions over hot drinks and treats. You are also welcome to bring your own device if you would like to. For more information please call 0113 245 5553 or email matthew@holbecktogether.org
Your Back Yard & Bramley Elderly Action: Digital Cafe
Friday 22nd October, 1:00pm – 2.30pm, Bramley Community Centre
Drop in and get all the digital support you need. Email kyra@yourbackyard.org.uk for more information or check out Your Back Yard’s Get Online Week blog post
Leeds Irish Health and Homes: on call support
All week!
If you would like to have a go or need any help please contact Anne Pearce on 07843 353661.
Carers Leeds: Fancy connecting with nature and technology?
Thursday 28th October, 11:00am, Middleton Park outside the Cafe
We would like to invite carers for a leg stretch and a chat as we explore the beautiful Middleton Park to give everyone a chance to get connected with nature and technology in one! We will be bringing along tablets that carers can use to identify plants, flowers, and other fun things in nature for anyone who would like a gentle introduction into technology in a relaxed environment, or for anyone who enjoys nature! To book a place call 0113 380 4300 or email patricia.fisher@carersleeds.org.uk or holly.wilkins@carersleeds.org.uk
This is everything we have for now, but for the most up to date Get Online Week Information follow 100% Digital Leeds on Twitter. We’ll be dropping in to as many of our partner events as possible and sharing everything on Twitter so keep an eye out for more top tips for successful engagement, quotes from people that have dropped by, and probably loads of selfies!
Sign up to the Online Centres Network and get ready for Get Online Week 2022!
‘Get Online Week’ is a digital inclusion campaign organised by Good Things Foundation, a social change charity helping people to improve their lives through digital. Sign your organisation up to their Online Centres Network to be the first to hear about next year’s campaign. You’ll also get access to a whole load of unique support opportunities such as funding, training, resource guides, and networking. They even sometimes have free equipment and data for you to give out to the people who need it most. It’s free to sign up, so what are you waiting for?