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myfriends online

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Myfriends online week helps people in later life discover the social side of the internet, learn the latest ways to make new friends and keep in touch with old friends and family. The next myfriends online week will take place 19 - 25 March 2012.

Register now to run an event during Myfriends online week 2012

If you love the social benefits of the internet and have access to a computer, laptop, tablet or internet enabled mobile phone, then you or your organisation can run a myfriends online week event to help people in later life in your local area to stay connected. 

opens link in new window Register your event

opens link in new window Download the event holder planning guide (PDF, 458KB) for top tips on how to get started in planning your event/s

Interesting in learning about the social side of the internet?

Then come along to a Myfriends Online Week event from 19 - 25 March 2012. Check back here in March for a list of activities and events taking place near you.

In the mean time if you're new to the internet, or are helping someone who is, see our brief introductory guides to Facebook, Twitter, email, Flickr and Skype.

Become a Digital Champion

Pledge to share your internet knowledge and help an older person enjoy the social benefits of being online.
couple at computer

Previous success

Thank you to everyone who ran an event or volunteered - thanks to you Myfriends Online Week 2011 was bigger and better than ever. During the week:

  • 400 events took place around England, Wales and Scotland,
  • 180 organisations hosted events - from local Age UKs and libraries, to art galleries, training centres and colleges,
  • 3,500 people in later life discovered the social side of the internet by attending training events,
  • 400 people pledged to help an older people they know to connect with family and friends online.

myfriends online week March 2011 myfriends online week March 2011 - We interview participants and volunteers from myfriends online week 2011 who share their thoughts on learning about technology and talk about their feelings at the end of their taster session

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Feedback from 2011 participants:

'Really good session' - Marjorie, Winchester, 90

'It [the internet] is opening a new field in my life' - Ron, Worchester, 74

'Please continue this work to connect older isolated people' - Sid, Swansea, 77

Myfriends Online Week 2009

The first Myfriends Online Week took place in March 2009, introducing thousands of people to the world of the internet. During the week, 172 events were held throughout the UK – and one event held in Australia! - organised by local Age Concerns, libraries and clubs.

  • The confidence and ability of participants to use computers and the internet improved significantly after attending taster sessions during the week, with 69% saying they would like to continue to learn about technology.
  • 80% of participants felt that using technology would help them communicate with friends and family more frequently.

opens link in new window Download the 2009 myfriends online week evaluation report (PDF 710 KB)

Organise your own event at any time

Just because Myfriends Online Week only takes place once a year, don’t let that stop you from running your own IT taster event whenever you want.

If you are interested in setting up a silver surfer project and running social networking taster sessions, please email us or call free on 0800 169 8787.

Myfriends Online Week is part of Connect with IT, a digital inclusion campaign organised by Age UK. To receive regular e-bulletin updates about Age UK's digital inclusion campaigns please email connectwithit@ageuk.org.uk.

Myfriends Online Week is a UK-wide campaign managed and delivered by Age UK in partnership with Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI.

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Age UK Advice:
0800 169 6565

Search for your nearest event

Find your local myfriends online week event

Useful information to download

  • Report on the 2009 myfriends online week, including a breakdown of participants, events and media coverage. 

  • View all downloads
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    Downloads

    What is a download?

    A download is a document (like a research report, a leaflet, or an application form) that can be transferred from our website to your computer. You can download a file, view it on your screen, print it, or save it to your computer.

    What is a PDF?

    PDF stands for ‘portable document format’.

    Most downloads on this website are PDFs. We use this format to ensure that the document looks the same on everyone’s computer (website pages, by contrast, appear differently depending on how people have set their computer up).

    How do I download a PDF?

    Computers use a program called Adobe Acrobat Reader to download PDFs. If you try clicking on a link to download a PDF and it doesn’t work, you will need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader onto your computer.

    How do I install Adobe Acrobat Reader?

    The process is quite straightforward and is free.

    1. Go to opens link in new window http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
    2. Click ‘Download’.
    3. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Run’, then choose this option.
    4. Click ‘Next’.
    5. Click ‘Install’
    6. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Finish’, then choose this option.

    How do I change a download?

    PDFs cannot be changed. If you need to be able to type into a downloaded document (for example, if we are offering a letter template that you need to put your name on) we will provide it as a Microsoft Word document rather than a PDF. You can then download it, type into it and save it to your computer.

    How do I print or save a download?

    Downloads will open on your computer in a new browser window.

    Inside this window (below all your web browser menus), there will be a toolbar with options for you to print or save the document.

    Close the browser window to return to the Age UK website.

    Can my screen reader read PDF downloads?

    We have made every effort to make our PDFs accessible to screen readers. Here is an overview of your accessibility options available in Acrobat Reader. Please ensure that you have downloaded the latest version of Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Reader website to ensure that they are included in your version of the programme.

    You can use Adobe Reader to read a PDF out loud with the following shortcut keys:

    • Read the document: Shift +Ctrl+Y
    • Read the open page only: Shift +Ctrl+V
    • Read to the end of the document: Shift+Ctrl+B
    • Pause: Shift+Ctrl+C
    • Stop Shift+Ctrl+E

    You can also convert a PDF into a web page by following these steps:

    • Copy the URL (web address) of the document (right-click on the link and select ‘Save target as’ or ‘Copy link’).
    • Open the Adobe online conversion tool in your browser and paste the URL into the URL box.
    • Tick the HTML box on the Format option and click ‘Convert’.

    You can convert a PDF document into a text file for use with other software and hardware such as Braille printers by opening the PDF and choosing ‘Save as text’ from the File menu.

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Donate a PC

Why not donate your old PC to Age UK so that older people in your area can get online?

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