Residents who are interested in improving their online confidence and skills will be able to attend a series of digital support workshops, being run in Waltham Abbey by Voluntary Action Epping Forest.

The workshops aim to provide a patient and supportive space for online peer support learning, finding employment, online safety and purchasing, health navigation, communication and social media platforms and using Microsoft Office.

Since the pandemic, VAEF has helped many residents ‘get online’ and digitally upskill themselves with day-to-day tasks. This has included running a very popular digital support drop-in surgery at Epping Civic Hub on Thursday mornings.

More recently, the service began working with universal credit claimants at Loughton Job Centre to provide digital skills support around finding employment.

The six-week workshop programme, which will take place at the newly opened 3Food4U Community Centre in Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey, will look at different topics where digital support in the community has been identified. They will use a resource platform called Learn My Way, to help and support attendees learn at their own pace.

VAEF digital skills and support lead, Chris Seaman said, "We have used surveys undertaken by residents of Epping Forest District Council to see where people need most help and digital support tops the list.

"We hope that this workshop will hopefully address these needs. We want to encourage residents who are new to using digital services to come along”.

The six-week workshop course started on Thursday, February 22 and runs weekly from 2-4 pm. 

Lisa Sharp is from Voluntary Action Epping Forest

Voluntary Action Epping Forest - Making a difference to people and families in Epping Forest: vaef.org.uk