Free Digital Cafés

Age UK Wyvern are helping bring the digital world within reach of older people with new free weekly cafés at local libraries across Herefordshire & South Worcestershire. Trained volunteers are providing individual, tailored advice on IT problems for anyone over 50 every week.

The Mayor of Ross, Linden Delves, has been able to find out at first-hand how Age UK Wyvern are helping to include older people in the online world. Linden visited the Ross Digital Café which takes place in the library every Tuesday at 10.00am to help with all kinds of digital problems and queries.

The sessions are new to Ross and aim to ensure that older residents can reap the benefits of being online. The mayor visited to discover more, along with several Ross residents and a host of questions. Linden is himself a professional IT team leader, so has a keen interest in helping people get to grips with technology.

Older people are the most at risk of being left behind in an increasingly online environment. Last year, a national Age UK report revealed that three in ten over 75s could not use the online forms they needed to book GP appointments or register to vote. Accessibility is a common problem: one in four of the same age group struggled to adjust the settings to make screens brighter or fonts larger.*

Age UK Wyvern's Digital Cafés are now running weekly in the libraries in Ross, Ledbury, Hereford, Pershore and Malvern. The service is completely free and available to anyone over the age of 50.

Residents are invited to bring their tablets, phones or laptops to the library for help accessing online services such as supermarket deliveries, the NHS app or emails. No problem is too small, and volunteers will spend as many weeks as it takes helping people feel confident on the internet. No appointment is necessary, and local residents are encouraged to drop by, chat about their IT issues and sample a complimentary cuppa and piece of cake at the same time.

Art Shrimpton, who co-ordinates the cafes for Age UK Wyvern, explained the advantages they provide:

“So many older people miss out because they can’t access online services. Our volunteers help people develop the skills to do what they want. Some people might want to book services or appointments online, and others might want to take up a new hobby such as researching family history. Everyone is welcome – whether they are a complete novice who has never turned on a laptop or sent an email, or a more experienced user seeking a solution to a specific problem. Whilst it is a drop-in, we welcome regular clients who can appreciate the social side of the café every week, sharing problems and solutions over a cuppa!”.

*Source: Facts and Figures about Digital Inclusion, Age UK, June 2024

When and where are the Digital Cafés?