I’m a Age Friendly Salford development worker and my job involves setting up and delivering basic digital skills courses (Tech and Tea) to older people in community venues across the city. 

 When I get to the office at just before 9am, my working day starts, as always, with a good brew and a quick catch up with colleagues before I check my emails and messages.  This morning, I am setting up 12 tablets for my courses which start next week in Walkden and Swinton.  It’s a long job which will take most of the day; but it’s important to ensure that all updates and apps have been installed so that participants can use their tablet straight out the box next week. 

 At 11am, I leave the tablets updating, (they take up a whole row of desks in the office, but people are used to seeing this now!) to log into Zoom for the Tuesday Zoom, I spend the hour talking to the group about how to stay safe online.  I deliver a digital session once a month, with my colleagues we each take a turn to running these Tuesday Zooms, next week it’s a reminiscing session, remembering and talking about childhood games. 

 After I log out of Zoom, it’s time for lunch.  I’ve been in the office all morning so it’s a good time to stretch my legs and I walk to the shop to buy a sandwich. Back at the office, I sit with some colleagues and we talk about the football and a TV show we are all watching. 

 This afternoon I check on the tablets and some of them are completed and can be put back in their boxes.  Next I go through my list of Tech and Tea enquiries.  This is a list of people who have either signed up via the Age Friendly Salford website, have sent us an email or who have phoned the office.   I speak with a lovely 82 year old woman who tells me her grandson has encouraged her to join Tech and Tea.  She worries about being too old; I tell her no one is too old and reassure her that the classes are really relaxed and cover the basics, nothing too complicated.  She thanks me and signs up for our next course at Pendleton Gateway starting in a few weeks time. 

 The final tablets are now all set up, so they too go back in their boxes and all 12 go back in the cupboard ready for next week.  It’s nearly the end of my day, so I check my email again and my calendar for tomorrow – I’m doing adult safeguarding training in the morning and then I’m out of the office in the afternoon visiting a sheltered scheme in Irlam to talk about delivering Tech and Tea to their residents. 

On the bus on the way home, I check to see if any of my favourite artists are doing gigs in and around Manchester.  It’s been a really busy but fulfilling day and tonight I am going to play snooker with a friend to relax and unwind, ready to start again tomorrow. 

That’s where Tech and Tea comes in – a free course designed to help people over 50 use technology with confidence. Tech and Tea is a five-week course that provides one-hour classes per week. The course is focused on helping Older people  learn how to use technology for various purposes, such as online shopping, accessing local information, and connecting with family and friends.

The course is designed to be user-friendly, with step-by-step instructions and hands-on practice sessions. To join the course, you must be over 50 and a Salford resident. The course provides a tablet for a contribution of £30, which is a small price to pay for the knowledge and confidence gained from the course.

At the end of the course, if you don’t want to keep the tablet, you can return it and receive a full refund of the £30. The Tech and Tea course is a great initiative that empowers Older people to embrace technology. It helps them stay connected with their loved ones and access vital information online. It also opens up a world of opportunities, such as online shopping and entertainment.

The course has received positive feedback from its participants. They have praised the course for its interactive and user-friendly approach. and has also helped them overcome their fear of technology whilst giving them the confidence to use it in their daily lives.

In conclusion, Tech and Tea is a fantastic initiative that helps senior citizens learn how to use technology with confidence. It is an excellent opportunity for Salford residents over 50 to gain valuable knowledge and skills in technology. If you or someone you know could benefit from this course, don’t hesitate to sign up. It’s never too late to learn something new!

What the video Below

Vanda from Age UK Salford lead a presentation about the Age Friendly Standards; what they are, how they came about and how attendees could get involved. This was followed by the CEO of Langworthy Cornerstone, Bev Fletcher. Bev spoke about their venue, which is Age Friendly Standards approved and why this is important for the local community.

Attendees then broke off into smaller groups, using the Standards assessment form to consider a venue they visit and how it might meet the criteria.  This generated positive conversations, highlighting the good work that is being done across Salford for older people.

“It’s so easy for us all to moan about things that aren’t good and need to change, but the Age Friendly Standards are really positive. The Standards are a really good way of recognising the positive things that are already happening.”

Several attendees then signed up to become assessors, helping to grow our list of age-friendly venues. If you’d like to find out more about the Age Friendly Standards and become an assessor, click here.

Our Older People’s Network meetings are every quarter and bring people together to share their views and help influence policy and service provision in Salford. To hear about upcoming meetings, keep an eye on the ‘Activities’ page on our website or sign up to our weekly newsletter, by emailing AFS@inspiringcommunitiestogether.co.uk.

Read Norma’s story by clicking here.