The Web Wise Project aims to help people over the age of fifty to get similar benefits from using the internet that younger people take for granted. Eleven million people in the UK do not use the internet, yet often services and goods are most easily, and cheaply, available from the internet. Older people, who do not use the internet, are increasingly at risk of being excluded from what are becoming “normal” life opportunities and activities.
Web Wise is provided by Age UK Warwickshire, in conjunction with Stratford District Citizen’s Advice Bureau. We organise courses in local venues, like village halls. Each course lasts six weeks, with one two-hour lesson each week. The project is funded by Comic Relief. We also work in partnership with Orbit Housing, Heart of England.
Web Wise courses are free.
Our courses cover the basic functions of the internet, including the World Wide Web, email and Skype (video calling), banking, shopping, and searching for information. There is a particular emphasis on helping learners to save money, and to manage finances more effectively, by using services on the internet.
You may bring you own laptop or tablet computers, or you can use one of ours. John Sawyer, the Project Co-ordinator, leads the courses and, where possible, there will also be Web Wise volunteers, who can give one to one support. We try to tailor the course to individual needs, and to this end each learner is invited to do a self-assessment prior to starting the course. Our next courses are at:
- Stretton on Fosse Village Hall – Wednesday afternoons, starting 12 August
- Wellesbourne Church Centre – Tuesday mornings, starting 1 September
- Southam Grange Hall – Monday afternoons, starting 7 September
- Claverdon Church Centre – Thursday afternoons, starting 10 September
If you would like to attend one of the above courses, please contact:
John Sawyer on 07881 812943, or email john.sawyer@ageukwarks.org.uk or write to John Sawyer, Age UK Warwickshire, 8 Clemens Street, Leamington Spa, CV31 2DL
What will you be learning?
Lesson one: Introduction
- Overview of course
- Introduction to the internet and how to get on line
- Introduction to web browsers and search engines
- Practising basic search skills
Lesson two: Staying safe on line
- Anti-virus and firewall
- Password security
- Awareness of scams
- Awareness of fraud
- Using secure websites
- Using credit and debit cards
- Avoiding exploitation
- Advice from Warwickshire Trading Standards
Lesson three: Communication
- Setting up an email account
- Composing emails
- Replying to emails
- Forwarding emails
- Attaching files to emails
- Setting up a Skype account
- Introduction to social networking
Lesson 4: Managing money more effectively
- Online banking
- Saving money on train tickets
- Internet shopping
- Improving search techniques
Lesson 5: Increasing income
- Getting financial advice
- Getting the best savings rates
- Selling things on eBay
- Using Pay Pal
- Using customer service terminals
Lesson 6: Saving money on utilities
- Cheaper gas and electricity
- Cheaper broadband connections
- Using social networking
- Backing up
- Review of course
