Oxford,
27
September
2017
|
10:51
Europe/London

‘Try One Thing’ online at Wantage Library

Wantage Library is teaming up with local partners to boost the confidence and skills of anyone needing extra help to ‘Get Online’.

A series of drop-in events is taking place during national Get Online Week- Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th October – with sessions run by Abingdon & Witney College, Soha Housing, Age UK and the county council’s Highways and Library teams.

Visitors can find out how to access information and council services online, or take the ‘Try One Thing’ bingo challenge - attempting something on the internet that they would normally do offline.

This might include their first:

  • online shopping experience
  • video call with friends or relatives
  • online appointment
  • online job search

There’s no need to book - visitors can turn up any time during the week to see what’s going on.

New skills

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Cultural Services Lorraine Lindsay-Gale said: “This is a great example of community organisations working with the council to help local people adapt to new ways of doing things - and to ensure they feel supported and reassured.

“With community help, customers can transform how they access local services and take away new skills which have the potential to transform their lives – including finding new ways to communicate with family and friends.”

Further information about events at Wantage and Grove libraries can be found at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/libraries and the Wantage Library facebook page.

Wider efforts

The scheme is part of wider efforts to support people to access local services online at the council’s 43 branches – putting libraries at the heart of their communities as the ‘front door’ to council services.

Cllr Lindsay-Gale added: “Right across the county, our 43 libraries are the visible front door of Oxfordshire County Council, and the ideal place for people across our different communities to access our services online using the public computers and free wi-fi.”