‘I can now see the possibilities’

Shital had been thinking about buying a laptop for ages but never felt confident about choosing one to buy or what to do with it once he had it.

‘I was delighted when I heard about the Laptop Loan scheme. I was given a laptop and one of the team set me up on email and on the internet. They wrote everything down for me clearly and helped me see all the possibilities.

'I’m trying to do everything myself but if I ever get stuck I know I can go along to one of the computer support sessions.  I’m mainly going to use the laptop to find out what’s going on locally, to look at the latest news and to do my shopping. I’m excited about using it and I know that it’s going to make my life so much easier.

'The other day the shop didn’t have what I wanted but the assistant said I could buy it online. I’m pleased I can do this now. At the end of the 3 month loan, I think I’ll feel confident enough to buy my own computer. I might even buy it on this laptop!'

Age UK Barnet offers short term laptop loans to Barnet residents over 55. We set people up and show them how to stay in touch with friends and family as well as perform everyday tasks like online shopping, paying bills and signing up to online activities. We also have IT support sessions for those who have smart phones, tablets and other devices but would like to know how to use them properly.