TechResort

As well as showing how repurposing reduced e-waste, this tale illustrates why devices alone aren't the answer. Trusted community venues and people are also vital for digital inclusion.

We'd like to share the story of one donated laptop - she is called MORWEN (well, we are the TechResort elves)
techresort.org/the-story-of...

Just with digital exclusion, we saw 300 in year 1, 900 in year 2, over 2000 in year 3 and we're on our way to 2400 this year. Services have a runway. /rant

But, as you say, whatever the service looks like, it has to be properly funded for multiple years to get really running and established. Not canned after a 6month pilot because of unrealistic targets./3

We need to get people out of GP surgeries, not the other way around.Multi-use hubs with co-locating services for people might have a fighting chance of people attending, especially if by attending people are not automatically labelled as 'poor', 'unemployed', 'ex offender', 'dependent' or whatever/2

Quite right. Advice services are best-placed to give that sort of advice. Maybe social prescribers might have been part of the solution but it doesn't seem to be working that way /1

Big shout-out to @sussexcommfound.bsky.social and The Southern Water Goodwill Fund. We now have a grant in place to work with partners in Hastings/St Leonards for digital inclusion, kids' sessions and some work experience!

Like the other people who are there. /end

Also, having a community/neighbourhood space that anyone can come to without being labelled is helpful for the days people would like a bit of support but today they don't want to be seen as 'in food poverty' or 'a recovering...' they just to be a person coming in to get just jobs done /1

Join our elves today at Sustainable Seaford Fair at Seaford Head School. Check out our LEGO robots, drop in a donation or get some help with your tech questions. We're here 12-4pm!

Another generous donation has arrived this morning, this time from Hi-Way services Ltd of Canterbury in Kent. We've already started work on them and we will get them to people who need them as soon as possible.

Thank you Hi-Way. Plenty to keep us busy for sure!

We've done a check of recent donations and with your fantastic generosity we've been able to buy some more phones that we will be able to give out to those who need them.

Thank you so much to all who have donated - you made it possible!

Events Archive - TechResort We’re planning sessions for young people in Eastbourne at the moment.\nKeep an eye on this…

Our free, weekly session on Wednesday evenings for children aged between 8 and 12 are back! Each week we are focusing on different skills. Next session is on 14th May where you can learn how to program a Lego Robot!

Book here:

techresort.org/events/

Booking open until 5pm the day before.

A huge thank you to @blagravetrust.bsky.social for continuing our partnership for the next three years. Funding like this helps us in our mission to give work skills to young people by employing them to deliver digital skills to other young people and to digitally excluded adults.

Mini Makers - BBC Micro:Bits - TechResort Learn how to code a BBC Micro:Bit!

We're excited to announce that we are resuming our children's sessions! They are a free, weekly session on Wednesdays for children between the ages of 8 and 12. We will focus on different skills, starting with BBC Micro:Bits on the 30th of April at 4.30pm.

Bookings here:
techresort.org/events/

Heck of a day on Friday. Big thank you for your volunteering days, @turn2us.bsky.social we had the pleasure of @seanfirth.uk to help us migrate the @diginclusionkit.bsky.social to a better platform. Then we all went to celebrate the 18th Birthday of an awesome local digital company, Zoonou.

Tech Refresh - TechResort Refreshing the "Tech" in TechResort

Whilst revenue grant funding pays for our day to day running cost and that's what we need most of, sometimes a grant for capital is vital for small organisations like us when we need to update our tech kit. Read more in our blog post
techresort.org/tech-refresh/

Our team all take it in their stride whilst I'm totally gobsmacked at how brilliant they all are. This stuff isn't trivial and it's all essential stuff for members of our community who are required to interact online for basic services. Community-based digital inclusion in action!

Another day at our base where I'm wowed by the skills, kindness, patience and dogged determination of our young team. Today, we've fixed apparently bricked tablet computers, showed a client how to use a touch screen, done some work with Canva and given out a basic phone to someone newly homeless...

Donating a phone or laptop to us doesn't only give a household on a low income and essential device, it also gives our students work experience and we get rid of the waste safely and legally!

Device donations - TechResort TechResort started refurbishing and donating laptops back in the first Covid-19 lockdown, and we're continuing to meet this growing need

Gearing up for a spring clear out? Laptops and phones can be donated to @techresort.bsky.social techresort.org/projects/dev...

We're open for our free-to-attend drop-in today

Pop along between noon and 6pm to get any digital help you need

Free and friendly help for anyone and everyone

we're back at base today

If you need help with any digital task pop into our drop-in

Drop-ins are on Mondays from 11am to 3pm and Thursdays from noon to 6pm

Happy New Year!

If were given a new phone or laptop for Christmas please consider donating your old one to us.Find out more on our website

https://techresort.org/

TR Tiny Tales for December

Who? Service-user

Young, unaccompanied refugees are looked after by the local council. They often come to us so we can help with their digital skills before they go on to formal schooling. This helps them with their language skills too, amongst other young people

TR Tiny Tales for December

Who? Service-user

Ann was unemployed and had a smartphone, but she found job searching on it very difficult. We gave her a repurposed laptop & helped her install and use some free office software. As a result, she was far more capable and didn’t need more help.

TR Tiny Tales for December

Who? Service-user

Luke has a visual impairment and needed help setting up a screen reader and the display on his new phone. I later helped him update his universal credit to reflect his rent increase. He would have found this incredibly difficult without our help

TR Tiny Tales for December

Who? Staff Member

I love working at Tech resort because I can directly make a difference to real lives. I particularly remember helping someone who had been recently hacked. Her email account had been compromised and I was able to offer help in a calm environment.

TR Tiny Tales for December

Who? Service-user

Alan had lost his phone and, being unable to contact his support network, was very vulnerable. We supplied him with a smartphone and SIM which kept him connected and could also be used for entertainment improving his mental health

TR Tiny Tales for December

Who? Service-user

Chris had been recently placed in his new rented home but he was worried he'd start to struggle with bills and he wanted to sort it out before it went to far. We were able to refer him to energy advisers near his new homes.