We are delighted to announce that our application to the Connecting Scotland programme was successful and as a result the D&G mPower team will receive 30 iPads to distribute to mPower beneficiaries. The iPads will be connected with 4G for two years and beneficiaries who require it will receive support from Digital Champions for up to 6 months.
In addition, all of the Wigtownshire and Newton Stewart team members will be offered the opportunity to attend the Digital Champion training to enable them to support beneficiaries who receive the iPads, meaning that we are upskilling more and more of the team to be able to do deliver this valuable work.
These iPads will help 30 people aged 65 and over who are currently digitally excluded for any reason – for example they may have an old device and can’t afford to replace it, they may have no access to the internet or haven’t ever tried to be connected because they feel they won’t be able to learn the skills required.
Enabling older people to get connected to the internet can open up a raft of opportunities for increased independent living as well as improved wellbeing. Just some examples of where the project have supported older people to get connected and how they have benefitted include online shopping, connecting with family and friends via video calls, connecting with health professionals via secure video calls, utilising local services such as online libraries, museum resources and viewing outdoor and nature scenes or activities.