Leeds Welcome Spaces Offer Digital Support This Winter

Community initiative provides digital literacy sessions at the Old Fire Station

Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL) has highlighted the ongoing efforts of the Leeds Welcome Spaces Scheme, which this winter has seen over 200 Third and Faith Sector organisations open their doors to provide safe and welcoming spaces for local people. Among these, the Old Fire Station in Leeds is offering digital literacy support through its Tech Talk and Toast sessions.

Tech Talk and Toast sessions

The Old Fire Station runs Tech Talk and Toast every Wednesday and Friday morning from 10am to 12pm. These sessions aim to improve digital skills among attendees, covering topics such as scam awareness, basic computer programmes, and internet browsing. The sessions are led by the Digital Inclusion team, Kelly and Chris, who provide support and guidance to participants.

Fran Etherington, Development Manager at the Old Fire Station, explained that the sessions not only focus on technical skills but also foster a sense of community. She said:

“Here at The Old Fire Station we have always opened our door in the winter months to support local people, but the Welcome Spaces Scheme gives us something bigger to be part of.”

“Being online and social media can often be seen as a negative, but if you are isolated and feeling low, it can also be a lifeline to friends, hobbies and information. Helping people get the technical skills they need, and the confidence to go online safely, can open a world of FaceTime with family, videos about your hobbies, music, as well as more practical support like filling out a pension credit application, running your finances online, or getting the latest bus arrival times.”

Partnership and community impact

The Old Fire Station shares its building with two other groups running Welcome Spaces: Slate Café and Space2, the local anchor lead for Gipton. Fran Etherington highlighted the importance of these partnerships:

“Working with local partner organisations such as Space2 helps The Old Fire Station to maximise the support we offer and gain from the skills and capacity of other groups. We work as part of the We Love Gipton group, ensuring the partnership work covers local groups and further builds our communication and strength, giving the community more opportunities to get involved and enhancing the reach of our projects.”

Participant feedback

Attendees of the Tech Talk and Toast sessions have shared positive experiences, including:

• “The TTT sessions were the driving factor in helping me go for my dream of getting my own business.”
• “I was stuck using the internet for Facebook and Snapchat – the course got me using it for so much more – I’m not scared of it anymore.”
• “Going to the group every Wednesday was so much fun. I got to use my new phone so much more. And got to make friends at the same time.”

For those interested in joining the sessions, further information is available on the Old Fire Station’s website.

Source: Doing Good Leeds