Some of Cheadle’s oldest residents have gone back to school in a bid to learn computer skills for the very first time.

Using computers and tablets may be a part of everyday life for some people, but for Eileen Jensen, 81, and Audrey Park, 90, using a computer is something they could never have imagined upon leaving school in the 1940s.

So in order to keep up with today’s digital savvy society, the pair was delighted to enrol on a basic computer skill course at the Kingsway School in Cheadle.

“We were both a bit apprehensive at first,” said Audrey.

“But it’s been so helpful, we’re both really sad it’s ended,” added Eileen, who is now progressing her new computer skills even further with her son at home.

The five-week course was advertised by the Council in October before it quickly received applications from 15 elderly residents looking to get online.

Jointly run by Kingsway and Stockport Adult Social Care, with support from the Cheadle Rotary Club, the ‘My Tech Buddy’ course saw the elderly residents pair up with 14 and 15-year-old students who acted as their mentor and buddy throughout the process, which was carried out in the students own time after school.

Its aim was to decrease social isolation amongst those living in the area and increase digital inclusion while providing a meaningful opportunity for people from younger and older generations to meet and engage positively together.

Fifteen students were trained by Ali Mahmood, Kingsway’s Head of Business Studies, to deliver sessions on accessing the internet, setting up an email account, joining social media websites such as Facebook, sending emails and finding and using websites that learners would find useful.

And after delivering their final sessions at the end of November, students and residents alike were delighted to be presented with certificates for their involvement by the Civic Mayor of Stockport, Cllr Andrew Verdeille.

“I’m so glad I saw the poster for this course at the retirement block where myself and Audrey live,” said Eileen.

“We were never brought up with technology and everyone’s online these days, so we just wanted to come along to join this new world.

“I used to be terrified of technology, but by being in the same environment as others I can now do simple things such as find out what time films are on at the cinema, instead of just turning up and guessing.

“I’ve learned so much from this course and I know my buddy Hannah has too, because she’s gained skills such as confidence and social skills, so it’s been a mutually beneficial way of working, and the best thing of all is that it was free.”

The Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Iain Roberts, was also in attendance at the final My Tech Buddy session in November and said: “What we’ve been trying to do in Stockport is to give people the opportunity to make it as easy as possible for communities to come together to do different things and help each other.

“My Tech Buddy is a fantastic example of that because it’s a win-win for everyone that’s involved; we just hope we can get more projects happening like this right across Stockport.”

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