In this article, Sue Willis and Dawn Butcher from Henfield Community Partnership in West Sussex tell us about their clever idea to combine later life planning using the My Future Care Handbook with computer skills support through their popular Henfield Computer Club.
We love how they take a practical, action-oriented approach, helping their members gain computer skills while simultaneously completing important tasks on their later life action plans. What a perfect fit!
About Henfield Computer Club
Henfield Computer Club is not-for-profit organisation that has been running for over 10 years. The weekly club is unique in the Horsham District and its 120 members, who are mostly older people, come from far and wide. It’s a very informal and sociable club, offering a chance to share tips, ask questions, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.
Members come along when they have a specific issue they’d like to resolve or simply to learn more about their computing device. They are supported by 14 volunteer mentors who are kind, patient, and caring individuals with a wealth of experience and knowledge.
The Club runs regular workshops on key skills such as Keeping Your Devices Safe and Online Supermarket Shopping. They also deliver topical presentations like How to Use the NHS App and Scam Awareness. Plus they send members a monthly newsletter.
Combining computer skills support with later life planning!
Sue and Dawn say: “We are always looking at ways to support our members, and during a networking event last year, we met My Future Care’s CEO, Zoe Harris, and learned about the Handbook and training for organisations.
“This resonated with us as the support it offers perfectly fits the club’s demographic. It is also an excellent starting point for us to roll it out to the rest of the community. Several of us have completed the My Future Care training and we are ready to offer support to our members.
“Our plan is to run our Digital Legacy presentation, introduce the importance of preparing for the future, and launch the My Future Care service using the books with a dedicated workshop.
“Some of us have already been supporting friends and neighbours using the My Future Care Handbook, and have received very positive feedback.”
Feeling motivated by Sue and Dawn’s insights? Could you incorporate future care planning support into your group or service?
Take advantage of our free training and ongoing support programme. Our online training will equip your team to help the people you work with make an action plan and see it through, using the My Future Care Handbook as a source of information and structure for the conversation. Handbooks are available free in certain areas (thanks to area-specific funding), otherwise bulk prices are available.
