[08
DEC 00] NUNEATON & BEDWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS
Silver Surfers Hope To Spread The E-Word
A
£2m bid has been made to improve internet access for older people in
Nuneaton and Bedworth.
The
Government is being asked to hand over the money to improve the
availability of information in the area for those aged over 50.
A
detailed submission has been sent including plans for a pilot scheme
to provide internet access in the homes of housebound older people.
The
bid has been put together by a variety of groups including Nuneaton
and Bedworth Borough Council following
a request from the area’s Older Persons’ Forum.
Local
MPs Bill Olner and Mike O’Brien have both welcomed the idea, and
have added their support to the bid.
Organisers
must now wait until next year to find out if they will get the money.
The bid will now be assessed by Government officials, in competition
with 176 other applications from around the country, which are bidding
for a national budget of £57 million.
Council
leader Dennis Harvey said:
"I
am really excited by this proposal, which will allow many groups and
bodies to provide better services for older people, by using the
latest internet technology
“Use
of the internet is growing rapidly, and we want to ensure our older
people are not left behind. We
also will be asking students from our local college to provide
training courses, so this will be a real opportunity to bridge the
generation gap".
The
bid itself was submitted electronically, and as she pushed the button
to send it to London, Trish Bull, secretary of the Nuneaton and
Bedworth Borough Older Persons' Forum said:
"The
need for this type of project was identified during a survey of our
older people, and I am delighted that something positive is
happening.
“The
Nuneaton and Bedworth Older Persons' Forum urges the Government to
support the bid, as it will really help older people in Nuneaton and
Bedworth live independent lives".
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