Lockdown has presented many challenges for so many people. For most of us, digital was a great help – we could stay connected online with loved ones, work and school from home and do our shopping and stay in touch with vital public services virtually. But what about the offline community? How could they be helped? Dorset Council’s Routes to Inclusion Project Officer, Lyndsey Trinder, has worked tirelessly to get free devices to some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Here she describes the mountain she faced and how reaching the summit was one of the best feelings of satisfaction she has ever felt.
Last summer, while living through the strangest year any of us can remember, I was very excited to be awarded ten tablets to give to people who are totally offline.
Living through a pandemic had underlined my total reliance on the internet and in my job I had also motivated lots of non-users, and sporadic users, of the internet to get involved. Lockdown was the catalyst for them – they could see being online was a way to keep in touch, get shopping delivered and make living a little more bearable.
We worked with people from the shielding community who contacted us to say they were offline, and people who had been receiving services from the home library service. They had all expressed an interest in getting online, and now was our chance to support them in doing so.
Working with the Good Things Foundation, which had secured lottery funding to buy devices, we were given 10 tablets to give to people in need.
But I fell into the trap of thinking that because I’d be happy for someone to give me a brand-new device with some data, then so would everyone else! I didn’t appreciate just what a challenge it would be.
Some people were, of course, over the moon to receive devices. We also provided them with support from our team of Digital Champions via the special Digital Hotline that we had set up at the start of the pandemic.
But I did struggle to give away all the devices and even had a couple returned because people couldn’t get on with them.
Some people did not want to try a device “because I would see it as an imposition – it would get in the way of me doing my housework” or concerned about the cost once prepaid data ran out.
I never imagined that when I first received those tablets that I would spend weeks trying to persuade people to take these devices. But I also had to remember that being digital had to be their choice, even if I could see what I felt they were missing out on!
Just as I was beginning to feel a bit disheartened, I received an email that was a gamechanger – what we were doing was transforming people’s lives.
The email came from one of the volunteers who had helped us work with the home library service user, it read:
“Two of our users who received a tablet are both most grateful.
“These devices have helped both in differing ways. One is now able to complete an online supermarket delivery, they both read local news, which has become available in online format, and they can research and find information they previously could not. They can even access more books whether talking or e format. One of the ladies who has a sight issue has particularly benefitted from being able to organise her bill paying online and the expansion of the printed word has helped her enormously. Both ladies have highly praised Geoff their Digital Champion and the Digital Hotline, which has been of much help and assistance to both – any problems either might have encountered have been dealt with swiftly and in a patient, caring and kindly fashion. Their devices have been described as ‘brilliant’ and ‘opened up a whole new world for me’.”
And that is why we do this! That email was just the pick me up I needed. I was so pleased for the timely reminder of the huge difference digital devices can make to people’s lives. For most of the people we contacted, it was like Christmas had come early.
Since then we have given away 30 devices – smart phones and tablets – and are about to give away another 20 phones, this time to people with learning disabilities. Our Digital Champions are again waiting to assist these new users if they need any help getting online.
I know it will be another struggle to convince everyone of the benefits of having a device but, seeing first-hand the profound difference it can make to people, makes me more determined to see another 20 people reap the benefits of digital.
We are recruiting. If, like Lyndsey, you would like a career that brings so much job satisfaction, then why not apply to join the #DigitalDorset team? We have new vacancies for a range of new digital projects, click here for more details Dorset Recruitment – Jobs and careers (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)
I have worked in communications for 25 years, first as a journalist and then in public and private sector public relations. From Southampton originally, I have lived in beautiful Dorset for the last two decades. My passion for Dorset has also turned into a passion for landscape photography. My other great loves are my family and Southampton Football Club.