High Sheriff of Shropshire Rewards Tech-Savvy Volunteers at Shrewsbury Charity
Helping people to increase their online skills and overcome digital dilemmas, the volunteers each give their time each week delivering personalised support and advice to local people in need.
It’s estimated that 1 in every 5 people in the UK is digitally excluded. Those experiencing digital exclusion cannot use the internet at all or have low internet confidence.
In 2020, The Roy Fletcher Centre worked with Shropshire Council to pilot a new free service to help residents improve their online skills. Four years on, its success has led to 26 libraries and community organisations offering the Digital Skills Programme across Shropshire, helping up to 750 digitally isolated people each year. As many as 80 digital volunteers are now supporting the programme.
The collective in-kind donation of The Roy Fletcher Centre’s volunteer team is an impressive 1,768 hours of digital expertise each year. To date, these dedicated individuals have supported more than 400 local people to improve their digital skills.
The positive relationships developed between participant and volunteer build a new-found confidence, better connection to family and friends, easy access to online prescriptions and health management and improved online safety and security.
Tonia, who has recently received support through the programme said: “People who aren’t on board with the internet are missing out. I recommend the Digital Skills Programme to everyone – it’s free, and you meet some lovely people while you are learning.”
Robert Macey, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for culture and digital said: “Shropshire Council are extremely proud that The Roy Fletcher Centre’s team of Digital Volunteers have been recognised with an award from the High Sheriff of Shropshire.
“The success of the Digital Skills Programme depends on the generosity of the friendly and skilled volunteers involved all over the county, as well as the commitment of our delivery partners. This community effort is helping many more people in Shropshire to get online and reap the rewards.”
Cllr Robert Macey, one of the digital skills volunteers to receive an award and Brian Welti JP, High Sherriff of Shropshire
High Sheriff of Shropshire, Brian Welti said, “It gives me great pleasure to make these High Sheriffs Awards to the amazing team of Digital Volunteers here at The Roy Fletcher Centre. In this ever-evolving world of digital technology, the time and dedication put in by this team, to enable so many digitally excluded members of our Shropshire society become more integrated with our ever-increasing reliance on having to carry out so much of our daily lives on-line is inspirational. The relationships they establish and the confidence building they achieve must be so reassuring to recipients of this help. Congratulations to all of you.”
Jenny Taylor, Chief Officer at the centre said: “We are immensely proud of our dedicated, skilled and warm-hearted volunteers who are delivering a much-needed service. The volunteers are honoured and thrilled to receive this award from the High Sheriff in recognition of their work.”
