Community digital volunteers will play a crucial role offering informal advice, information and support to adults in their local community who either want to get online and learn how to use a computer for the first time or improve their confidence with the basics.
Community digital volunteers are people with basic digital skills who inspire others and help them get online. They show them how to do simple tasks like sending e-mail, using a search engine, or browsing the internet.
Community digital volunteers work with learners in a range of settings, such as a community organisation, library, WiFi enabled café, or in the learner’s own home, either on a one-to-one basis or in groups.
Being a community digital volunteer is all about helping people to help themselves rather than doing things for them. It is about enabling, guiding, and troubleshooting. What it is not about is trying to solve hardware fault problems, conducting financial transactions, or handling any kind of sensitive information.
Why community digital volunteers are needed
Almost 21,000 people in Plymouth do not regularly use the internet (ONS, 2019). People who are offline miss out on the benefits the internet can provide, from keeping in touch with family and friends, to saving money and finding work. One of the best way to reach digitally excluded people in Plymouth who don’t have the skills, access, or motivation to use the internet is often through digital volunteers.
What the role involves
As a community digital volunteer, you will use a number of online resources and call on your own personal experiences to:
- offer a warm, friendly, and trustworthy service to all learners, regardless of age, background, or ability
- act as an advocate of the benefits of being online
- help adults learn the basics of computers, e.g. searching the internet, online forms and shopping, setting up online accounts and payments and sending and receiving e-mail
- offer informal advice on the basics of e-safety, e.g. guarding against identify theft, phishing and scamming
- offer support in the basics of key software, e.g. Microsoft Word
- introduce adults to a range of social media to help them keep in touch with friends and family, e.g. Facebook, X (Twitter) , YouTube, LinkedIn
- signposting to additional resources and training opportunities
- offer impartial advice on purchasing computer equipment and digital technology, e.g. laptops, smartphones, digital tablets, hardware and software
Would this role suit you?
No formal qualifications are needed but to enjoy and carry out the role you’ll need to:
- be aged 18 or over with a friendly and patient disposition
- have a basic level of digital skills and feel confident with a range of different technologies
- be good at explaining instructions to people learning something new
- have the confidence to work with people from a wide educational background
- be passionate about the internet and the benefits it can provide
- be willing to provide one to one help on using technology
- be available for a couple of hours each week
Benefits of volunteering
As a community digital volunteer, you’ll be changing people’s lives – helping them stay in touch with friends and family, shop and send email, other benefits include:
- putting to good use, and developing, your skills and experience.
- giving back into your community
- meeting new people
- get free training and support
Training and support
Full induction and training are given at the start of your role, and you will have ongoing support throughout from a volunteer coordinator.
An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against all Support Volunteers will be conducted at no cost to you.
Reasonable travel expenses can be reclaimed.
You are of course free to stop volunteering at any time.
Apply
We welcome your application. Upon receipt we’ll give you a ring for an initial chat in case you have any further questions around the role and whether it will suit you.