BBC Weevl Video 2017

Following on from Mart’s blog about his involvement in this series of programmes depicting the way our digital project addresses the needs of those with intellectual challenges. This video feautures Marc Froggatt, Simon Schofield and Mart Lee, who are volunteer Online Chum Mentors working with others like themselves to guide them through using digital processes in a safe and secure way, especially when increasing their social circles of support. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-43798237/we-made-a-social-network-to-escape-trolls

Website developments

Our group of volunteer Online Chum Mentors have been refreshing our website and, where possible, attempting to make it as accessible as possible. However, there is much that still needs to be achieved to address shortfalls in accessible content. Yet, there is much to do and hopeful we will have additional funding to assist in addressing this important need. Anyone with observations that help us achieve this, please leave a comment. https://www.parkviewprojectne.com/

Abilitynet: Tech4good Awards 2020

An important role we play in supporting volunteers who provide a critical peer support, by digitally befriending individuals struggling with maintaining or using online processes, is to acknowledge there commitment and selflessness in creating a safe and secure space for all our beneficiaries to maximise their involvement of using technology and software applications that increase their social circles of support, create learning opportunities, access health & social care and secure financial support. This year we are currently reviewing how to single out an individual amongst so many who have equal worth in our organisation for this prestigious award. We will reveal our intentions in due course……..

Working with and for disabled people

Our digital world is rapidly changing, but for many who still seek a safe place, it is a challenge. Our project is a based on developing involvement of disabled people in learning new ways to get together by providing shared activities that are led by you with support from our trained volunteer Online Chum Mentors. We are a small community group working towards charitable registration relying entirely on donations and the good will of many of our local community who devote time to helping others make best use of the internet and technology. You can find out more by visiting our website at https://www.parkviewprojectne.com/

Digital support for those new to the internet regardless of age or disability

We have access to a variety of formal and informal help to demystify accessing the internet, whether it is disability creating barriers to understanding or lack of awareness of those functions to help you manage your day-to-day tasks. Normally we provide face-to-face activities at our drop in centre (located in Shiremoor, North Tyneside), because we have a social mission that integrates instruction with community-based activities to ensure that digital processes are considered in relation to the real world life at neighbourhood level. The current national emergency has created challenges for many we exist to support in that they are unable to participate in our annual programme of activities. This is why we are able to extend help remotely using peer support as well as online help using our web platforms. Our public website is an ideal way to keep in touch as well as keeping up to date with what we are doing. There are many of course with no internet access because of digital poverty or because they don’t know where to start. To address these factors we work with local agencies to connect to those needing our help so that collaboration is key to reaching out to those socially and economically excluded. Whether you are aware yourself of someone who could do with some friendly support or you are very new to using digital processes you can get in touch via our public website: https://www.parkviewprojectne.com/ or you can get in touch with us at our shared space at North Tyneside Disability Forum, Earsdon Road, Shiremoor, NE27 0HJ Tel 0191 4661667.

Digital Inclusion does not mean Social Exclusion – Getting you Online to Offline Community Activities

Park View Project
Tom using Learn My Way digital support programme.

Say “No” To Cyber bullying — Jing Yi from IBM3205

Cyber Bullying is destructive. Please see this blog if in doubt to the devastation it causes. To all our members, please remember we can together tackle this dreadful disease that many of us have either experienced and currently haunted by.

Some actions can hurt people. Some words can hurt people too. In today’s society, everyone has the freedom to speak out, but that doesn’t mean you can use it to hurt others because everyone has their own dignity and privacy. We have to learn to respect others, perhaps we do not know that we use […]

Say “No” To Cyber bullying — Jing Yi from IBM3205

Digital Rescue update

Great support from FutureDotNow and Good Things Foundation for furnishing us with mini tablets enabling people to connect to the internet. Without this support many would be greatly disadvantaged in developing their social circles of support and to undertake daily household tasks we take for granted. There are 12% of people living in the North East lacking any digital access and many more without the skills to access socially essential services. Together we can tackle this and eradicate digital poverty! Below id Helen receiving her new device.

WordPress’s impending change

It is now well known by many of WordPress bloggers that come the 1st June they are implementing their new Block design. This is deeply unsatisfactory because for many who are not digitally aware there will be challenges. This is especially the case for those of our members with a Learning Disability who have to formulate a routine in their blogging. Added to this is the current Covid19 lock down where our project drop in is suspended, meaning face-to-face benefit of supporting this unnecessary change will only lead to our community becoming silent. Again we are confronted with barriers that exclude those with intellectual disabilities. It is just not fair and is discriminatory.

Digital First Aid

Alongside our social goals to increase social circles of support, we are mindful that being online is becoming so much more than just keeping in touch. This is why we integrate our approach to digital befriending with our volunteer Online Chum mentor scheme, and that of learning about using digital processes. A key to learning is it is informal and creates relationships across our diverse local community. Take a peak at our public portal https://www.parkviewprojectne.com/ which was built and is maintained by our volunteers.

Our digital journey towards getting our residents connected

Today, we delivered Simon’s new tablet, and as you can see by the smile on his face, very pleased. He said “I can now continue my studies in arithmetic, English and general studies, something I’ve not been able to do since the lock-down.  It will also allow me to take my role of volunteer Online Chum Mentor to the next level because I can now support others remotelySimon & Tablet as they progress maximising their digital skills”.