Volunteers helping to get local people online receive visit from MP

Caption: Left to right: Janete Minto - Bridge Project IT Tutor, Lauren Todd - Volunteering with Sharon for a day, Julie Almond - Bridge Project IT Tutor, and Sharon Hodgson MP.

MP went along to the Bridge Project to show support for Get Online Day.

Many local women in Washington are undertaking short courses to learn computer skills thanks to the volunteer team at The Bridge Centre.  Today’s special event - the third annual get online day - was designed to encourage more women to take up the opportunities of IT available to them.

Mrs Hodgson attended the event in order to also promote CSV’s Make A Difference Day which is to be held next Saturday 31st October and will champion the contribution of volunteers to the local community.
 
Mrs Hodgson said:
 
“I had a really good afternoon.  I’ve always admired the work which is done here at The Bridge Project, they have a great record of engaging with women who have had personal difficulties for a number of reasons.  The courses which are available can help to build skills that can help at home and in the workplace.  It was obvious from this afternoon’s session that everyone was having a good time.  Being online is a very normal part of the day for a lot of us now, but we have to remember that the internet revolution has not reached everyone just yet, and that is why Get Online Day is so important.
 
One of the reasons I was there was to promote the importance of volunteers.  Without the volunteers who work hard all week to keep the centre running we would not be able to provide these opportunities which can make such a difference to these women’s lives.  Volunteers make a major contribution to our community in Washington and I want to say a big thank you to them as well as encourage anyone who could spare a bit of time to step up and do so.”

The Bridge Project >>

UK Online Centres >>

Myguide >>

CSV Community Service Volunteers Make A Difference Day >>

 
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Notes to Editors
 
The Bridge Project was set up in 1985 by a small group of local women in Washington in the North of England. With help from a Community Worker they worked together to put in a bid to the European Social Fund to set up a project in Washington that could provide education and training for local women, which incorporated quality childcare to enable them to gain qualifications.  Since then the Project has grown into a dynamic voluntary organisation, run by women for women. All women are welcome at Bridge and by using specialised outreach methods they target areas and groups, which are socially excluded, and women who have no educational qualifications.
 
Get Online Day is being organised by UK Online which provides people with access to computers and the internet, together with help and advice on how to use them. UK Online Centres are based in communities across England and provide a vital channel for reaching some of the hardest to reach audiences - helping people get online for the first time, learn new skills, and access e-government services.
 
UK online centres have a cross-government role and support a wide range of policy agendas at national, regional and sub-regional level, from adult skills and employability to social and digital exclusion, e-accessibility and e-government.

CSV Make a Difference Day takes place on Saturday 31 October 2009, with activities from 24 October to 7 November. Participants are aged between 2 and 105 and activities range from giving blood and knitting toys for a children’s hospice, to transforming waste land into a community garden, teaching IT skills or renovating a homeless shelter – anything that helps local communities.

CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Last year more than 167,064 people gave their time as volunteers through CSV and CSV trained over 12,196 people of all ages. www.csv.org.uk.

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www.sharonhodgson.org

Sharon Hodgson MP
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA

E-mail: hodgsons@parliament.uk

Constituency Office Tel. 0191 417 2000.