Getting in the Citizenzone

We love the web, that’s pretty clear.  But what we really love is for our partners to share the fantastic stories of what they’ve been doing to help others get online. 

Preston City Council have done just that.  It's helping people in Lancashire gain access to the fantastic facilities the web has to offer, running free courses for local residents who had never previously used computers or the internet. 

But enough from us, we’ll let them tell you all about it…

So, first things first, tell us more about what you’ve been doing.

Out aim is to to bring local services closer to the community using modern technology.  We’ve recently run a project to help address known issues relating to inequalities caused by access to services and transport in Preston’s rural communities.  We’ve been providing residents with the opportunity to attend free IT taster sessions in the very heart of local villages.  Locations have included village hall car parks, church car parks and even the car park of a local indian restaurant.  We’ve also been using our fantastic Citizenzone bus to do an IT tour and access people in even the hardest to reach communities.

Our Citizenzone bus is an interactive vehicle packed with the latest technology.  It allows people to access services provided by Preston City Council, particularly IT training.  The biggest thing is actually physically going out to where people live and offering training on their doorstep. Citizenzone is a wonderful facility which can train 12 people in one sitting and it is fully equipped with computers and high speed internet access. We’ve been delighted with the whole success of the project.  

What inspires you when working towards digital inclusion?

We want to help bridge the digital divide and help everyone exploit online services.  We love being able to open up a whole new world for people online, so they can keep in touch with family and friends, access public services or benefit from the many cheaper deals that exist on the internet such as booking holidays online.  It’s been a great experience, especially knowing through our courses, people have been able to access and use facilities such as public services, Google, YouTube and BBC iPlayer.  One of our course attendees said he previously felt like he was ‘losing out.  Not anymore.’ 

And finally, any future plans?

Our IT sessions have proven such a success the courses are now being rolled out into other areas of Preston including the Deepdale area of Preston which is among England’s 10% most deprived wards.  It’s been a great experience so far and we are pleased to be running these courses again.

Computer skills are becoming more and more essential in everyday life, so it's important that our residents feel confident using the technology.  We feel it is important people are given the opportunity to develop basic skills in preparation for work and also for use in everyday life.

It's clear Preston City Council love the web, so join them and us now.  We're all better off when everyone's online.

• Why not visit the Citizenzone website?
• Go to the Preston City Council website.
• If you've got a Promise in Action to share, why not get in touch?