The impact of 'Be Connected' on my life

Dec 20, 2023

As the name indicated, the Be Connected organisation was established to assist seniors to Get Online and Be Connected.

With all of the information and resources available on the internet, it might be difficult to fathom living in a world without it. It connects us to the outside world and makes our daily life more efficient.

Though many may find it second nature, others still find it foreign. The Australian Digital Inclusion Index estimates that three million Australians are digitally excluded. These people lose out on important opportunities that arise online due to access, affordability, or digital ability limitations.

Low-income individuals, the elderly, and other vulnerable sociodemographic groups are disproportionately excluded from the digital world, creating a prominent "digital divide" and highlighting the fact that issues of digital exclusion are social justice issues.

The need for equal access has evolved into a new concept called "digital inclusion."

How I became involved with Be Connected:

In 2017, at the time I learned about the Be Connected program, I came up with Travel 4 Retirement. Although it was not the perfect moment for me at the time, our paths did indeed cross at that point.

At the time, I was also preoccupied with a local networking business Wise & Connected and did not think Be Connected

would fit into my current clientele, which was focused more on helping local business owners. After COVID struck, I stopped working on the networking business and went online to create a business directory. After COVID, I moved back to a women's networking business partnership, where I was managing all the digital work on the back end.

However, after observing the difficulties seniors were facing in setting up QR codes on their phones and realising that I could apply for some of the Be Connected funding, I decided to apply for the funding and move back out on my own. Coincidentally, my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's around this time, and I realised that I needed a job that would allow me the freedom to support him when needed.

I also assisted in starting an NFP group called SoS Digital Support Inc., which is based in the Bega Valley Shire and provides digital workshops and one-on-one digital support. Because there are a lot of seniors in our area and we need more help, I applied for a Lead Digital Mentor grant, which enabled me to train more Digital Mentors to work within our NFP group and assist more seniors in getting online.

My husband and I have always been passionate walkers and have taken pleasure in visiting remote locations in our assortment of tents, campers, and caravans. Sadly, when my husband's Parkinson's disease diminished much of his confidence, we were forced to sell everything and stay in motels or with family. However, midway through my Lead Digital Mentoring, I realised that we had enough money to buy a CamperVan that I felt comfortable operating.

After realising that I still needed to train over 25 mentors to meet the requirements of my grant, we decided to visit our daughter in Brisbane and our son in Cairns in Far North Queensland, while I trained the remaining digital mentors and did some networking in the more remote areas. We did not have a set itinerary, so I just visited local groups that I thought might involve seniors and put flyers on notice boards around the countryside. Along the way, we made contact with several organisations that were keen to get involved and conveyed a desire for their employees to upskill through the Be Connected initiative.

By doing this, I have also allowed my NFP group to continue mentoring local support groups by sharing my other leads from my hometown with them. In addition, mentors that I have previously trained have shared their knowledge and trained 16 additional carers to become digital mentors, and we have several more who are excited to join in the new year.

Conclusion:

What does that mean for me now?

Well, I am going to sell Wise & Connected and all the leads I have generated within it, and I am going to keep going with Travel 4 Retirement, where I can share my love of photography while my husband and I continue our Australian travels, hosting digital workshops and trivia events around campfires and camp kitchens.

I am also excited to teach individuals how to document their travels so that their loved ones can look back on them years down the road. Some of the programmes I utilise are: