Connecting the community; free ways to get online in Telford and Wrekin

To mark national Get Online Week, Telford & Wrekin Council is reminding residents that there are lots of free ways to get online in the borough, and free support to do so too.

Launched in 2007 by the Good Things Foundation, Get Online Week is an annual campaign to help people boost their digital skills and confidence.

Across Telford and Wrekin, council offices, libraries, community centres and leisure centres all offer free public wifi, with free-to-use computers too at all of the borough’s libraries and at some community centres, including Donnington Hub, Woodside Park Lane Centre, Brookside Central and Leegomery.

Often, the biggest barrier preventing people from getting online is confidence, so the council also runs six free digital drop-in sessions every week, aimed at boosting people’s skills and improving their confidence. For Get Online Week the popular Wellington session has been extended. Drop-in sessions are held:

- Tuesday 9.30am to 11.30am at Holy Trinity Church in Wrockwardine Wood (regular weekly session)

- Tuesday 12.30pm to 2.30pm at Donnington and Muxton Community Library (regular weekly session)

- Wednesday 10am to 12noon at Southwater Library in Telford town centre (regular weekly session)

- Wednesday 12.45pm to 2.45pm at Lawley Bank Court (regular weekly session)

- Thursday 9.30am to 11.30am at Wrekin Housing Group Hub in Stirchley (regular weekly session)

- Thursday 12noon to 4pm at Wellington Library (special extended session, usually 1.30pm to 3.30pm weekly)

Councillor Zona Hannington, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services, said: “In today’s digital world, where 90% of jobs are only advertised online, shopping is often cheaper online than in a store, and the default way to get in touch is often by email, we risk excluding people who aren’t able to get online, whether that’s because they don’t have access or the right device, or they lack the skills or confidence to do so. National Get Online Week aims to address this by highlighting the support available to boost people’s digital skills and confidence.

“Here in Telford and Wrekin, digital innovation pays a key part in creating a better borough, but we also need to ensure that it’s an inclusive borough for those who do not wish to or cannot access the digital world, and not exclude people without access or digital skills who might otherwise be left behind.

“That’s why we offer free public internet access at all council buildings including offices, libraries and community and leisure centres, so people can get online for free with their own devices. If you haven’t got a device, we’ve got computers that are free to use at libraries and community centres around the borough too.

“We also hold six regular digital skills drop-in sessions each week that are open to all. They’re run by our digital champion volunteers and offer help to build digital skills and confidence, whether that’s using a device or app, keeping in touch by email or social media, accessing council services, shopping online and much more.”

Over the next few weeks, in partnership with Telford College, Wrekin Housing Group, Barclays, West Mercia Police and Cap Gemini, Telford & Wrekin Council is running a series of extra digital support events, starting this Thursday (17 October) with an extra digital drop-in session at Wellington Library between 12noon and 4pm.