How it all began!
In the late Autumn of 2015, the Trustees of Hackforth Village Hall, the University of the Third Age (Bedale) and Rural Action Yorkshire came together to organise a Digital Skills Course for folk in the Bedale and Hackforth area. It ran from 11 January 2016 with six sessions over six weeks. It was so popular that two sessions ran each Monday led by a tutor from RAY and supported by volunteers from HVH. The course covered basic knowledge of digital devices and how to use them to help with household bills and health.
At the end of the course, there was demand for the sessions to continue on a more informal basis and so weekly 2 hour Digital Skills Drop-In sessions were offered supported by volunteers from HVH. Later that year, the success of the group was recognised by the North Yorkshire Community Learning Partnership when it was announced as Hambleton and Richmondshire's Informal Learning Group of the year.
The sessions have continued since then although they now take place on a Tuesday morning and are branded as ChIT Chat to recognise that the chat is as important as the IT! The charge per session is still £2.00 and covers freshly brewed tea or coffee and a selection of biscuits. Quite often there is also cake and / or scones! After deductions for supplies, the surplus is given to HVH to (more than) cover room hire. On that basis, the group now raises about £1000 each year for HVH.
There is a solid core of volunteers with a wide range of experience of digital devices. Most problems get solved one way or another! ChIT Chat welcomes everyone - many of those who attend have now done so for many years but we also have a steady stream of new clients.
Come and join us - it's so much more than just an IT group!
At the end of the course, there was demand for the sessions to continue on a more informal basis and so weekly 2 hour Digital Skills Drop-In sessions were offered supported by volunteers from HVH. Later that year, the success of the group was recognised by the North Yorkshire Community Learning Partnership when it was announced as Hambleton and Richmondshire's Informal Learning Group of the year.
The sessions have continued since then although they now take place on a Tuesday morning and are branded as ChIT Chat to recognise that the chat is as important as the IT! The charge per session is still £2.00 and covers freshly brewed tea or coffee and a selection of biscuits. Quite often there is also cake and / or scones! After deductions for supplies, the surplus is given to HVH to (more than) cover room hire. On that basis, the group now raises about £1000 each year for HVH.
There is a solid core of volunteers with a wide range of experience of digital devices. Most problems get solved one way or another! ChIT Chat welcomes everyone - many of those who attend have now done so for many years but we also have a steady stream of new clients.
Come and join us - it's so much more than just an IT group!
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