The Printing Charity – Case Studies: Barbara Brown
A new world opens up
A grant of £300 from the Printers’ Charitable Corporation to buy a laptop has opened up a new world for Barbara Brown*. Encouraged by her sister and brother-in-law in New Zealand as a way of keeping in touch, Barbara decided to master the email.
“At nearly 70, I thought it might be too difficult,” she says, “and I have to admit, I was a bit frightened of using a computer at first. I did a beginners’ course at my local community centre and was thrilled when I passed the test.”
With arthritis making it difficult to get out and about, her laptop takes her mind off the pain and prevents her from feeling isolated. She loves the fact email is so instant and that she can download photos from her sister’s family on the other side of the world.
“I know that I probably won’t manage the long flight to New Zealand to visit my sister again,” she adds, “but the emails she and my nieces and nephews send me make me feel as though I’m there. I’ve even used Google maps to see where they all live in New Zealand. Another bonus is Skype, not only making it much cheaper to keep in touch but we can see other, too, when we’re talking.”
Becoming computer literate in her retirement makes her feel she is very much part of today’s digital age and ‘just goes to show that it’s never too late to learn a new skill’.
*The name of our beneficiary has been changed to protect her privacy.