Making the links doesn't sound like a very exciting job but it is crucial part of the work I do. Services in western NSW are scarce and cover large areas, and churches are thinly spread, so helping to make links can really pay dividends.
One of the networks is the Western Riverina Rural Service Network (WRRSN). This group focuses on the small towns and villages of the western Riverina and helps service providers and local people find out what is on offer and how they can access it. It also promotes joint projects.
Recently at a grant writing workshop in Merriwagga, organised by WRRSN, I met a number of the local residents and from that meeting a variety of great things have happened. One of these is basic computer classes for older people who have NEVER used a computer before and found other computer classes assumed a lot of familiarity with computers and were well above where they were.
It has been a great time with the four Merriwagga (and one Hillston) ladies learning how to use computers and the difference they can make. I am aiming to prepare them to join other senior computing classes.
The classes are held in the Uniting Church hall. The relationship between these ladies and the church has been strengthening over the last 2 years as their craft group meets in the hall on Monday mornings. The church has built a disabled toilet and put in air conditioning to make the hall more suitable for use, and helped with grants for sewing machines. It is fantastic to see church premises used in this way.
However, one of the issues for Merriwagga is that there is no mobile phone coverage, so internet is very difficult. As well as this they do not have access to ADSL by landline. This is despite being only 80km from Griffith and having optic fibre cable going straight past the village. They will not be connected to the NBN and their only option is to have NBN satellite, which is not quite as good as ADSL2. Surely it is areas such as this that deserve better internet access due to the their isolation, rather than less. Imagine computing these days without the internet!
Julie
One of the networks is the Western Riverina Rural Service Network (WRRSN). This group focuses on the small towns and villages of the western Riverina and helps service providers and local people find out what is on offer and how they can access it. It also promotes joint projects.
Recently at a grant writing workshop in Merriwagga, organised by WRRSN, I met a number of the local residents and from that meeting a variety of great things have happened. One of these is basic computer classes for older people who have NEVER used a computer before and found other computer classes assumed a lot of familiarity with computers and were well above where they were.
It has been a great time with the four Merriwagga (and one Hillston) ladies learning how to use computers and the difference they can make. I am aiming to prepare them to join other senior computing classes.
The classes are held in the Uniting Church hall. The relationship between these ladies and the church has been strengthening over the last 2 years as their craft group meets in the hall on Monday mornings. The church has built a disabled toilet and put in air conditioning to make the hall more suitable for use, and helped with grants for sewing machines. It is fantastic to see church premises used in this way.
However, one of the issues for Merriwagga is that there is no mobile phone coverage, so internet is very difficult. As well as this they do not have access to ADSL by landline. This is despite being only 80km from Griffith and having optic fibre cable going straight past the village. They will not be connected to the NBN and their only option is to have NBN satellite, which is not quite as good as ADSL2. Surely it is areas such as this that deserve better internet access due to the their isolation, rather than less. Imagine computing these days without the internet!
Julie
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