Digital Champion at ‘Your Local Pantry’ - Woodley, Brinnington and Bridgehall.
REF: 67d0615b49919
Would you like to help more people in Stockport to use the internet or feel more confident using a computer? Would you like to help people access free data from Good Things Foundation by helping us issue sim cards? Tech genius NOT required! Your everyday knowledge using a smart phone or browsing websites is enough.
Are you friendly and patient? Do you feel confident speaking to new people and helping them feel relaxed talking about their digital struggles? Have you ever set up your new mobile phone? Do you want to learn some new skills and help in your local community? Then being a Digital champion volunteer is for you!
Your Local Pantries and Starting Point are teaming up to support people to learn new digital skills and get connected online by solving digital problems and offering free data as part of the National Databank. We’ll be at the Pantries once a month, the first week of the month.
You’ll be supported by a member of Starting Point staff at the venue every time you volunteer, as well as meeting Pantry staff and volunteers. We’ll give you full training both on being a Digital Champion and on issuing sims for the National Databank.
What are Your Local Pantries?
Your Local Pantries are all about dignity, choice and hope, bringing people together around food! They are set up to look and feel like a shop, where members choose to join and pay a small weekly membership, choosing at least 10 items from a wide selection of groceries. Members benefit from affordable food provision, but Pantries alos create community, confidence, skills and wrap around support – which is where Starting Point’s digital help comes in. You can read more on their website here: https://www.yourlocalpantry.co.uk/
Who are Starting Point?
Starting Point offer digital skills sessions across Stockport, as well as running the DigiKnow device lending library, and Databank support. We also train and support Digital Champion volunteers. If you volunteer with us you’ll have regular top up training, socials, and be part of a wider network of volunteers across Stockport.
You can find out more on our website here: https://startpoint.org.uk/digital-learning/
Role
What will you be doing?
There are three Your Local Pantry venues across Stockport where we will be helping people. You can choose a location and time that suit you, or help at more than one if you want to. You’ll be chatting informally to people waiting to get their shopping at the pantry, so being friendly and able to start conversations is as important as your digital skills. You may be asked to help with some other tasks at the pantry, such as tidying up, making teas and coffees or welcoming new customers. This will help us to get to know people, then we can chat about digital tasks. We expect to be helping people with tasks like updating online benefits diaries, checking council services, googling helplines or checking an email. We help people to develop digital skills for life by supporting them to solve real life problems. We will also be issuing sim cards to eligible customers, so you may need to explain what the databank is, talk to people about eligibility, enter data onto the Good Things database, and help put a sim into someone’s phone. You will get full training and support from staff to do this.
We’re looking for several Digital champions to share this role, so you won’t need to volunteer every week, unless you want to.
Sessions are planned for:
First week of the month.
Woodley Pantry (Arthur Greenwood centre) - First Tues of the month - 3-6pm
Brinnington Pantry (First House) – First Weds of the month, 1-4pm
Bridgehall Pantry (Pantry at no.5) – First Thurs of the month – 1 – 4.30pm
Woodley and Brinnington have more space and we’ll be able to offer more digital support. You will be able to sit for most of the session if you need to.
Bridgehall has limited numbers of chairs, so be prepared to spend a lot of the time standing, using a tablet type device, or working in another unusual way without a table! Potentially chatting to people in a que outside, using a tablet on your lap or taking notes to type up at a quieter moment.
Contact Clara, Volunteer lead at Starting Point to find out more – clara@startpoint.org.uk. Text Clara on 07874 042 365 or ring 0161 494 9947. Leave us a message so we know you’ve called, as we don’t return all missed calls.
When:
Woodley Pantry (Arthur Greenwood centre) - First Tues of the month ***- 3-6pm Brinnington Pantry (First House) – First Weds of the month, 1-4pm *** Bridgehall Pantry (Pantry at no.5) – First Thurs of the month – 1 – 4.30pm
Where:
Various SK locations
Other:
What are our volunteers like? Everyone is different! Some of our volunteers are retired, some are looking for work. Some are trying something new after being unwell or children becoming part of their family. Please tell us how we can help you feel included whatever your culture, ethnicity or sexuality. We welcome people with disabilities to volunteer with us, we can give you all the info about our sessions and venue. Please talk to us about adjustments we can make so you can volunteer happily with us. You do need to volunteer in a sometimes noisy environment. We welcome people who are learning English. You do need to read online information and feel happy to explain computer based tasks in English.
Closing date for applications:
31 May 2025
Starting Point Community Learning Partnership
Organisation description:
Starting Point helps people to get online, or feel more confident using computers. We also run community events and support people locally with Community Organising. Our community activities have included sing-alongs, craft clubs, community events and kid's holiday clubs. We run Digital skills sessions and connect people to the National Databank to help with the cost of mobile data. We run a Digital device lending library and are part of the DigiKnow network, Stockport council’s project for Digital inclusion. Digital Champion volunteers help in Digital skills classes, or informally with friends, family or neighbours. We support other organisations in Stockport to have Digital champions, with our network of Digital champion volunteers across Stockport. You’ll be joining a friendly group of volunteers where full training is given for your role, plus we have regular socials if you volunteer with us!
Organisation type:
Social Enterprise
Company location:
Starting Point Community Learning Partnership 4-5 Woodley precinct Stockport , SK6 1RJ
