From Tea to Technology: Irish Girl Guides Bring Digital Skills to the Community

To celebrate and honour the older adults in our community, Irish Girl Guide members are teaching digital skills. This past week, Leaders from 10 new Units across Ireland joined a growing cohort of Hi Digital trained Members.

• In total, 30 Units are ready to work with older people on the island, which include 60 Leaders and 402 Guides (10-14 y.o.) and Senior Branch (14-30 y.o.).
• Since Irish Girl Guides started the partnership with Vodafone Foundation, over 2,000 older people have learned new skills, and this number will continue to expand.

The members learned about some of the barriers older adults face in navigating the digital landscape and how they can help combat social and digital isolation through the Hi Digital programme in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation.

The Units host sessions in their community centres, in parish churches, in Men’s and Women’s Sheds and Active Retirement Groups. Hi Digital sessions last one to two hours and the older adults get a chance not only to learn new skills but also to chat over a cup of tea or a mug of soup.

Learning digital skills is not just about understanding the step-by-step instructions but building confidence and skills towards a more independent life. This is achieved through comprehensive education that demonstrates not just how singular apps work but through universal symbols and recognizable instructions while supporting the growing confidence in the older adult.

One older participant said, “I feel more at ease, knowing that much more about my phone”. While the Irish Girl Guides grow into confident Leaders, they are also helping show the older adult’s new ways to lead more independent lives as they navigate their phones. As one Clogherhead Senior Branch member highlighted, “it was really great for our personal growth but also our community growth”.

Watch this video to see the Hi Digital programme in action! 

To see more about Hi Digital check out www.hidigital.ie and for more about the Irish Girl Guides go to www.irishgirlguides.ie

About Melanie

Melanie Boylan is a Social Media Trainer, Social Media Manager, Speaker and Digital Marketer with STOMP Social Media Training Ltd, who has been freelancing with ITN since 2016 and is on our top team.

She works with SME’s, LEO’s, ETB, Partnerships, State Bodies and Corporates throughout Ireland and collaborates frequently with other teams for events and mutual projects.

You’ll find her speaking to guests on the ITN Podcast and on The Monday Morning Marketing Podcast with her co-host Esther Ocampo, which has been going since 2020.

Melanie advocates for Tech and news in Space, STEM, Sustainability, StartUps, Social Media and Climate Change. Please note, that’s all she does.