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We, the Edinburgh Silver Surfers are a group of Edinburgh
residents who initially came together during computer training sessions for the
over 50s hosted by Age Concern Edinburgh Information Technology (ACE IT). Having
completed the basic training course - we were keen to develop our new talents
further and so set out to explore ways and means of putting our computing skills
into action.
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| Edinburgh Silver Surfers with
mascot 'Dizzy' & Jenny Ridge, Chief Exec ACE IT (right) |
A number of things had become clearly apparent during our
introduction to surfing the Internet…
• The web proved to be a fascinating tapestry rich with
material aimed at all tastes, temperaments and above all… All age groups!
• The Internet offered outstanding opportunities to develop social networks
and provide voices for those within our communities who are often excluded
from general social interaction by age, ill health or personal
circumstances.
• By watching the ACE IT webmaster at work updating their website – it
became clear that we could have a lot of fun and do some good by creating
our own material for use on the web.
With the enthusiastic assistance and support of ACE IT we
decided to form a web club and launch our own website aimed at providing news,
features and articles of interest for those aged over 50 both within Edinburgh
and beyond.
After a lot of hard work and preparation - The Grand Launch of the ‘Edinburgh
Silver Surfers’ website took place on 1st October 2003 at Edinburgh’s Gyle
Shopping Centre (Further Details). In the
years that have followed we have been deeply involved in a wide range of
groundbreaking initiatives, seminars and community projects - Building bridges
across social and intergenerational divisions and breaking down barriers
relating to age and the stereotypical image of older people.
Edinburgh Silver
Surfers Meet Pupils From St Thomas Aquins
during an ACE IT Intergenerational Project:
Further Details
We have had the honour and privilege of working in close
partnership with a wide selection of charities, community organisations, media
and educational resources in raising the profile of the ‘Silver Surfer’. In
addition, we have also helped provide a voice for older people before government
at both a local and national level. To date our work within our local
communities has been recognised by a number of awards and award nominations
including the City of Edinburgh Council’s Get Up and Go Awards – Challenging the
Stereotypes of Older People and Raising the Profile of Older People in Edinburgh
(Further
Details 2007) (Further
Details 2006)
(Further Details 2005)
One of the main reasons for the success of the website has been the strong
social elements provided by trips out to gather material for use online,
participation in local community projects and catching up with old and new
friends at events hosted by ACE IT which are always open to (and popular with)
clients and former clients.
As members of an ageing population, we hope that this website will provide proof
positive that the internet is a fantastic resource which with a little training
and experience can provide unlimited opportunities - not only for our own
generation – but for society as a whole!
Edinburgh Silver Surfers
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