Roscadghill Area Residents Association
Roscadghill Area Residents Association is the driving force behind five housing estates just outside Penzance, where three hundred households live.
In 2005, they converted two portable buildings and landscaped surrounding wasteland with flowerbeds to create an exciting Community Centre and office, equipped with wireless broadband.
Since 2005, they have used the Centre to run courses through Link Into Learning and CN4C to help build IT and Internet Skills on the estate, amongst other training courses such as Food Hygiene.
These courses have been attended by the elderly and other residents, keen to learn how to use computers and the Internet, indicating that there is a high degree of interest in skills development on the estates.
Chairman of the Rosgadghill Area Residents Association, Ted Clemens, says “One of the main aims was to target unemployed people and single mums and help them get back into work. We have run four courses so far and they are ongoing. They have very successful. “
With a new grant of £3000 through actnow reach, Roscadghill Area Residents Association is now buying three laptops and hiring the services of an IT trainer, who will coach volunteers to become Internet eChampions. These eChampions will be able to pass on their skills and help more residents to take full advantage of the Internet.
Ted Clemens says ‘The support from actnow reach is allowing us to build on our success to date and increase the extent to which residents can benefit from IT and the Internet. We believe that by training up volunteers to pass on their skills, we are creating a self-sustaining project that will carry on well into the future. The volunteer eChampions will run drop-in sessions to open people’s eyes to what IT and the Internet can offer, focussing on interesting and relevant uses. For example, we will cover areas like digital photography, family tree research, eBay and online shopping.”
As well as drop-in sessions, the next phase of development by Roscadghill area Residents Association will include an after-schools club for children as well as an IT club to run in the school holidays.
“This will help the children to make the most of the Internet as well as help their parents ” says Ted.
The grant funding through actnow has been provided by the Rural Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Partnership and BT.
For further information about the support available under actnow reach or to apply for funding, please call Stephen Caen at actnow on 0800 800 935 or email reach@actnowcornwall.co.uk
actnow reach is funded by the Rural Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Partnership and Cornwall Enterprise
