The TPAS winners were announced at a ceremony in April. Stockport Homes will now take on the other winners from around the country in the national finals in July.
According to Housing News:
Stockport Homes won the award for its ‘older bolder online initiative’ in partnership with Start Point. Key successes include: delivering IT taster sessions to customers at Stockport Homes’ sheltered housing schemes and working with tenant and resident associations and Start Point to set up weekly computer drop-in clubs and sourcing funding to provide modern IT equipment, broadband and training.
In addition, the award was given for developing a team of ‘digital heroes’ who have equipped themselves with the IT skills and confidence to support other customers to get online in their own communities and for introducing innovative sessions such as ‘fish, peas and family trees’ and ‘casserole click’ to bring older people together to develop additional skills in tracing their ancestry or cooking and sharing a meal.
Rebecca Sweeton, customer and community involvement team leader, Stockport Homes said: “This a fresh and innovative approach to digital inclusion that’s supported older people and other less confident computer users to take their first steps with digital technology.
“The initiative has worked to close the digital divide between older people and younger generations through its informal approach to learning. This has helped to overcome the barriers that many older people face to getting online.”
Nicola Wallace Dean, Starting Point said: “What I want to do is try and encourage people to get online, mainly because I genuinely do feel that people need to be online, but I want to do it in a fun way and get people to think about why they would want to be on the internet.
“A big part of that is going to where people are. UK Online centres want to get people using the internet, but are also very interested in the social impact that has and the sense of bringing communities together. Stockport Homes are working with us to help to make the Community Hubs sustainable.”