Kildare Girl Guides guide men's shed through tech skills
Irish Girl Guides with members of Kildare Men's Shed
TO help tackle both elderly loneliness and lack of Internet access, the Irish Girl Guides, in partnership with Vodafone Foundation, brought the Hi Digital programme to the Kildare Men’s Shed, offering in-person support to help older adults develop essential digital skills.
“It became very apparent very early on, that the programme was about much more than just teaching Hi Digital skills,” said Guide leader Mary Lillis.
Her Unit not only worked on digital skills, but also made baked goods, played music, and built bonds between Irish Girl Guides members and the older adults in their local nursing home.
In a recent study from AWARE one in three older adults experience loneliness, while only 54 per cent of people over the age of 75 had used the Internet in the last three months.
Since partnering with Vodafone Foundation in 2023, Irish Girl Guide Units have helped over 4,000 older adults in their communities through the Hi Digital programme.
Irish Girl Guides believes strongly in the transformative power of forming friendships and doing ‘good turns’ for others.
This reflects one of the organisation’s core principles: service to the community. The Guide Movement encourages greater involvement in their own communities.
Through Hi Digital, Irish Girl Guides Units connect with older people in their communities, like the members of the Kildare Men’s Shed, individuals they might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage with.
The youth members work hard teaching the older adults everyday digital skills such as email, WhatsApp, and using the internet.
In working with the older adults, the Guides and Senior Branchers build connections with them and learn the important role that technology plays in keeping us connected to friends, young and old! The older adults in turn provide stories and life lessons to the younger generation.
The Kildare Men’s Shed session demonstrates how Hi Digital not only empowers older adults to navigate technology but also strengthens community bonds across generations. This exchange is part of what makes Hi Digital so impactful for everyone involved.
