Community Link grant transforms Broom Closet into Windows to the world
When residents of Manor Farm House, a sheltered housing scheme in Dedworth, decided that they were being left behind by the advances in modern technology, they resolved to do something about it. The members of the Manor Park Social Club took it upon themselves to research where they might be able to apply for funding, and successfully managed to secure a £1,500 ‘Make it Happen’ grant from Windsor Housing’s Community Link to purchase state of the art computer equipment.
Having approached Windsor Housing, part of Radian, to help them financially, they needed to find the space to set up a new computer room. Luckily, the Sheltered Scheme Manager, Debbie Rowley remembered an underused old cleaning cupboard and Windsor’s Community Development Team helped to consult all residents living at the scheme to come up with an action plan for getting the new room up and running.
A couple of months’ later and all the residents’ hard work has transformed the broom cupboard into a relaxing, state of the art computer room with two brand new PCs, a printer/scanner, webcams and wireless broadband.
The residents are delighted with the new facility and can’t wait for the one-to-one IT taster session being organised by Windsor Housing later this month to enable all interested residents to gain a basic understanding of using a PC and how to navigate the web.
A number of residents at the sheltered scheme were interested in gaining IT skills and keeping in touch with modern technology for a number of reasons, including keeping in touch with family members abroad via the webcams, looking up old friends, researching their family trees and pursuing other hobbies.
One resident, Eric Danby said “The new cyber room is very good, as it provides everyone with the opportunity to stay in touch with family, especially those living abroad without expensive phone bills. I have two sisters in Australia, my son lives in Panama and I also have relatives in America, so I am looking forward to chatting with them via the web cams.
Dennis Goddard added, “It’s excellent to come and relax in here. It’s a beautiful room and I can’t believe it used to be a cleaning cupboard. I served in the Merchant Navy for 15 years, from 1945 until 1960, and look forward to searching for old colleagues.”
Kathy Lee, the Social Club Treasurer said, ”It is lovely to have the opportunity to have such excellent facilities. It is really easy to be left behind with all the new modern technology and the cyber room allows us to stay involved. I would like to thank all my colleagues from the Social Club, as well as Jackie Sadler, Deborah Paterson (Sheltered Scheme Managers) and Sahil Khan (Resident Involvement Officer) for all their support. I would also like to thank all members of the Community Link Team for awarding us a grant to undertake this exciting project and Lee Campbell (Assistant Supported Housing Manager) and Valley Carpets for organising the fitting of new carpets. I would like to say special thank you to James Kane from Kane Computers for sourcing and installing all the IT equipment and Nimi Johal for organising the IT taster sessions.”
