BT Volunteer Sharanne Helping New IT Users in Caerphilly

Sharanne Basham-Pyke is the Business Transformation Director for BT Conferencing and has been helping new IT users get up to speed via the Get IT Together project in Caerphilly.

“I have been coaching Tom Edmunds and his wife Joyce for a few weeks to build their confidence in using IT. They already had a laptop, an email address and internet access through Wi-Fi in their home but did not feel comfortable using IT and were especially concerned about the security issues.”

“First we discussed security and agreed to work on areas where Tom and Joyce felt comfortable – for example they wanted to use internet banking.”

“Tom and Joyce found it frustrating that they were not familiar with a keyboard and we have enjoyed discussing the little techniques that make using IT so much easier – for example the difference between delete and backspace.”

“Over the weeks we have looked at how to use email to greater effect. We have started using the contacts for recording information and Joyce sent her first email with an attachment this week.”

“We have also spent some time looking at shortcuts to be able to move around the desktop, in particular we have looked at how to use tabs so that we can look at more than one website – especially useful when making comparisons on prices.”

“Tom and Joyce felt they were slow in gaining technology skills but I can honestly say that they picked up everything amazingly quickly. Their confidence has grown immensely and on my last visit they were able to show me online the details of the cabin on a cruise they had booked the previous week (with some help from their daughter).”

“Personally I have found it enormously satisfying to be involved in the Get IT Together programme and I am proud that BT is supporting volunteering in this way. I have also learnt an enormous amount from Tom and Joyce and we have promised to keep in touch – and we have agreed to do this electronically.”

Big thanks to Sharanne, and all the other BT volunteers working on the Get IT Together programme. If you would like to volunteer on a Get IT Together project near you, please see our list of projects and contact the Project Coordinator direct.

Related Project

• 
  Caerphilly