At Leaders in Community we want to get older members of our community online by buying and supplying them with tablets. We will provide personal 1 to 1 support to get online and hold weekly video calls with our young and older residents to maintain social connections. Our inter generational project, Mind the Gap, is all about bringing the young and old members of our local community together to share their stories and enrich each other’s lives. This has become much more difficult during lock down and one of the biggest barriers has been getting older members of our group online. We want to purchase tablets so that they can connect with loved ones and other members of Mind the Gap. We will purchase tablets, set them up with video conferencing software and deliver them to members’ homes with a custom ‘How to’ guides attached. We will then be able to hold regular online meetings with all members of Mind the Gap and keep these community bonds strong.

What we'll deliver:

• We will purchase as many tablets as possible; our target is to raise £1,499.70 to purchase thirty amazon fire 7 tablets.
• Young members of Mind the Gap will create a personal ‘how to guide’ for each older member to help them get online.
• Hold regular video calls with the Mind the Gap group to continue creating an inclusive inter-generational community.
• As a group we will continue to work on new ways of engaging and benefiting the elderly community in Tower Hamlets.

Why it's a great idea:

Older members of our society are at higher risk of suffering from social isolation and this has only been heightened by Covid-19. Many live alone and without access to the internet. By providing access, training, and a support network, we hope to bring some much-needed connection to these members of our community. By supplying older residents with a way to access the internet we do not just allow them to participate with us but also open the doors to a wide array of other opportunities. In a World which is likely to be much more dependent on virtual conversations it is vital that we do not leave the older generation behind.

Steps to get it done:

• 1 - Raise funds for tablets
• 2 - Create personal ‘How to’ video guides for each member
• 3 - Deliver the tablets to the care homes and centres
• 4 - Help elderly members get online via phone calls and videos
• 5 - Hold our first virtual catch up!

At Leaders in Community we want to get older members of our community online by buying and supplying them with tablets. We will provide personal 1 to 1 support to get online and hold weekly video calls with our young and older residents to maintain social connections. We want to help address the impact the corona virus is having on our elderly members of the community.