North Hertfordshire Homes, a member of the Digital Champions Network and providers of over 9000 homes, have announced a campaign to help their tenants get online.
40% of working age social housing tenants have no access to the internet, of whom half would feel confident making a benefit application online (MORI 2014), while four out of five internet users aged over 55 years (86%) have said that having access to computers and the web has improved their lives (Digital Unite/One Poll 2011).
These statistics have encouraged North Hertfordshire Homes to join the Connected Housing Initiative (CHI), a group of 15 housing associations, and provide digital skills training as well as affordable connectivity and equipment to all of their social housing residents.
In support of Spring Online week, that runs from April 20-26, they are launching an initiative to provide five community centres across Letchworth, Hitchin, Offley and Lilley, with new equipment for their visitors and groups to use in their activities.
Commenting on behalf of North Hertfordshire Homes, Nicola Pearson, Neighbourhood Development Officer said: “It’s great to see that the community centres will be using their equipment for lots of different reasons. We’ve heard of plans for family evenings, volunteers helping daycare clients to surf the internet and help with planning fundraising activities.”
Community Centres receiving computer equipment are: The Cassel Hall in Lilley, Offley Community Centre, Howard Garden Social & Day Care Centre in Letchworth and in Hitchin, Westmill Community Centre and Christchurch Methodist and United Reform Church.
More information about Spring Online and the Connected Housing Initiative.is available on this website.
For further information about this article, please contact Alison Steyn, Communications and Customer Relations Manager at North Hertfordshire Homes on 01462 705495