A nationwide community empowerment programme has launched a new initiative in Moray to reduce the fear of technology.
Live It Up is piloting technology taster sessions using tablet computers in an attempt to improve health and well-being by showing people how to connect to family members and friends online.
The latest project being experimented with sees community champions and volunteers teaching technophobes how to conquer their cyber fears.
Two Moray community health and social care volunteers yesterday tested the project out on one of their own employees.
Social worker Frankie Barton, 58, said: “The older you get, you get more fearful and people seem to get scared because technology changes so rapidly.
“The phone you buy today won’t be the phone you’re using next week. Putting it in everyday language and making it approachable takes away the fear.”
Volunteer and Live It Up community champion Andrew Jamieson, 43, from Lossiemouth, has played a major role in setting up the scheme.
He said: “With the taster sessions, it’s a case of getting over the fear factor and once you get over that the learning and the enjoyment starts from there. Technology is so intuitive.
“For people in isolated situations, being able to stay in touch and open up the wider world through technology is everything.”
Fellow volunteer and technology tutor Shirley Feaks added: “Once we teach people how to use the basics of technology the world is their oyster.
“Even if it just makes a small difference and connects people to relatives that cheers then up for a day, that’s enough to make this all worthwhile.”
“We each have our own skill sets and we have community champions in Lossiemouth, which allows us to mix and match our service and become more approachable.”