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Supporters of the computer centre. ‘I came here a Luddite and a technophobe and now I can do almost anything,’ said one |
Silver surfers battle to save centre that transforms lives
THE threatened closure of a computer centre has angered its over-50s students, who have accused the Town Hall of “ignoring old people”.
More than 800 students over the age of 50 have completed courses at Islington Computer Skills Centre, based in Finsbury Library, which will close next month if funding cannot be found.
Students claim the centre has transformed their lives, helping them gain employment, keep in touch with their families, make new friends and feel part of modern society again.
Centre supporter Wendy Stock said: “What they do here is remarkable. I have been on two other computer courses and they just don’t understand that people of our age don’t get on with computers.
“I came here a Luddite and a technophobe and now I can do almost anything. All of that is down to the teaching.”
Another student revealed how the centre had transformed his life. “I was literally homeless on the street before I found this course, and now I’ve got my life back,” Checho-Yee said. “I can write business letters and send emails. Who would have thought a homeless man could do that.”
The centre, which opened in 1999, holds three two-hour teaching sessions a day. Classes of 10 learn about word processing, the internet, spreadsheets and databases.
Students can go on to take exams to gain the “computer driving licence” qualification.
Other students have voiced dismay at Islington Council’s attitude to the centre’s closure. Fergus O’Connor said: “I know we just sound like the centre fan club, but without this centre we would have all been left behind.
“Closing such an invaluable resource would be criminal, not just for us but for other people like us who would benefit from such a service. I do feel the council have been dragging their feet on this, largely because they are uninterested in old people.”
The council has used an emergency fund to keep the centre running for an extra three months, and says it is searching for alternative sources of funding.
Councillor Ruth Polling, Lib Dem executive member for leisure and equalities, said: “I’m not ignoring the centre or its users, and there is a huge amount of positive work going on behind the scenes.
“The council has made several strong bids for long-term funding on behalf of the centre, but it’s not an instant process.
“The centre has always been independently funded, but the council is funding it in the short term since its previous source ran out. We will let people know as soon as we have further news.”
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