{"id":782,"date":"2021-07-08T09:49:40","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T08:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/digital-first\/?p=782"},"modified":"2022-06-14T14:25:56","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T13:25:56","slug":"how-martin-was-bourne-again-thanks-to-digital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/digital-first\/2021\/07\/08\/how-martin-was-bourne-again-thanks-to-digital\/","title":{"rendered":"How Martin was Bourne again thanks to digital"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Martin<\/a>
Martin Pipe – whose life has been transformed by Bourne Digital<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It had been years since Martin Pipe was last in a job centre and when he stepped through those doors again, little did he know that his life was about to change forever.<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s life was just starting to turn a corner after years of living with addiction.<\/p>\n

One of his first steps to recovery was to visit a job centre to find out what his options were.<\/p>\n

But to Martin\u2019s surprise these were no longer the days when you literally signed on.<\/p>\n

Instead Martin was shown to a computer and told he needed to go online and complete a series of forms.\u00a0 And it was at this moment the world he thought he knew fell apart.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s was like I had been in prison for 20 years and I stepped out into a world where everything had changed,\u201d Martin recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t even know how to switch the computer on let alone do anything else with it. It was really quite frightening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin did not have to feel frightened for too long as his support worker told him about a new course that could just be the answer he was looking for \u2013 Bourne Digital.<\/p>\n

Bourne Digital was set up to help people like Martin who had been out of work for a long time and lacked the digital skills needed in today\u2019s modern workplace.<\/p>\n

A 12-week programme, it consisted of weekly lessons that covered all the Microsoft Office functions as well as building confidence, online security and careers advice.<\/p>\n

Crucially, each student had access to their own volunteer digital champion for one-to-one sessions to reinforce their learning and to receive support and encouragement.<\/p>\n

\"Mike<\/a>
Mike Watson, one of our Digital Champions who, provided mentoring to Bourne Digital clients – including Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMy digital champion was brilliant. I was full of fear but Mike, my champion was so good and helped build my confidence up. Even though it was all done via Zoom it soon felt natural and it was like we were just having a conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin\u2019s main goal was to create a digital CV, which, with Mike\u2019s help, he achieved.<\/p>\n

And completing the online forms that so phased him just a few weeks earlier when he visited the job centre? That\u2019s a doddle for Martin now.<\/p>\n

Martin gained so much confidence from Bourne Digital that he signed up to study foundation maths and English courses at his local college.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Martin Pipe – whose life has been traamnsformed by Bourne Digital<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With many Covid restrictions in place, most of Martin\u2019s learning has been done online.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh wow, I can\u2019t even begin to say how much a difference Bourne Digital has made to my life,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can now email, download things, complete online forms and search the internet \u2013 all things that are so important today that I just did not have a clue about a few months ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s now part of my daily routine. Every morning I get up and check my emails.\u201d<\/p>\n

And what Bourne Digital has helped give Martin is a clear view of his future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always known that I needed to do courses in English and maths if I was to move away from labouring type of work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did try a college course a few years ago but I struggled so much with the computer side of things I gave up after the second lesson, I was just too slow.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut thanks to Bourne Digital I am back doing that course again.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in the longer term? Martin has a vision of where he would like to see himself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cI want to be a support worker helping people like myself who are living with addiction or are homeless.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still on the road to recovery and I have to take things at the right pace but Bourne Digital has definitely set me on the right path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bourne Digital \u2013 the facts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bourne Digital was part of a pioneering programme called Power Up, which was an initiative by the Good Things Foundation charity and funded by JP Morgan.<\/p>\n

Locally it was overseen by Ansbury Guidance and supported by Skills &Learning, Dorset Council\u2019s volunteer digital champions and BCP Council\u2019s Library Service.<\/p>\n

The course provided 12 weeks of digital training to unemployed and underemployed people in the BCP Council area.<\/p>\n

Launched just prior to lockdown, the courses had to quickly move online.<\/p>\n

Clients received weekly lessons on a wide range of subjects, including learning about the Microsoft Office functions, CV writing, online security and careers advice.<\/p>\n

Their lessons were supplemented with one-to-one sessions with a volunteer Digital Champion who helped to reinforce what they had learned and build-up confidence.<\/p>\n

One-to-one sessions were able to move to Bournemouth Library as Covid restrictions were eased.<\/p>\n

The clients also enjoyed sessions from a range of guest speakers who provided information about local services such as the Foodbank, Citizens Advice Money Talks and Dorset Cyber Security.<\/p>\n