A Burnham-On-Sea community cafe is celebrating one month of offering residents in the area a digital advice drop in as part of a growing network of tech support in Somerset.
The Waffle Hub started hosting the Burnham-On-Sea Digital Cafe in August as park of Spark Somerset’s Spark iT project, which aims to get Somerset residents online and confident using digital services.
Liz Bennett, who runs the Waffle Hub in Burnham’s Methodist Church in College Street, says: “It’s been great to see so many people attending Digital Cafes at the Waffle Hub since they began last month.”
“We knew that there would be huge demand for help with technology and getting online, which is why we always planned to add a digital offering as our community café grew. It’s been a pleasure having the team from the Spark iT project with us and it’s been lovely to see so many people getting advice and support.”
“The Digital Café is free to attend and runs every week as a drop in, so people don’t need to book ahead. We would encourage people to drop in at any point during the session for help setting up a phone, tablet or laptop, using the internet, building their confidence with using technology and more.”
The Digital Café runs weekly at the Waffle Hub on Wednesdays between 10am and Midday.
Melissa Lewis, Digital Inclusion Area Coordinator for Spark Somerset, adds: “The reception we have had in Burnham has been fantastic and it’s been great to see the community engaging with our work at the Waffle Hub.”
“We would really encourage anyone with questions about using a phone, tablet or laptop, or about getting online, to pop along and see the team. There’s no such thing as a silly question and the team are happy to help with any queries!”
“If you’d like to find out more, or you’d like to get involved in the work going on in Burnham-On-Sea, please get in touch with the team at Spark iT by emailing sparkit@sparksomerset.org.uk or calling 01458 550977.”
The Spark iT project has already helped more than 2,000 people across Somerset to improve their digital skills and works with local and national partners to provide data and devices to those in need.
The Spark iT digital café network now has 18 venues, with 95 per cent of Somerset residents having a digital café within 10 miles of their home. For more information about the wide range of Spark iT services and new digital café locations, visit www.sparksomerset.org.uk/spark-it or telephone 01458 550977.
