Group items tagged

"The erosion of social capital, and increasing levels of social isolation are widely recognised phenomena in our society. Older people are particularly likely to admit to feeling lonely, and social isolation is known to have a significant impact on older people's physical and mental wellbeing. Many older people particularly value local services that provide them with opportunities for regular social contact. However, we are currently witnessing a significant decline in many of these local services such as libraries, post offices and lunch clubs. More than 2,500 post offices have closed and 5,000 small shops have disappeared in the past six years. At the same time, many statutory and third sector services are currently under threat from local authority budgetary cuts. The private sector could do much to provide non-specialised local settings and opportunities for older people to remain connected with their communities. However, thus far there has been little investigation into how private companies might contribute to social cohesion in this way. This project will identify ways that private companies can make use of their local presence and existing operating models to generate new social opportunities for older people."

"his design study looks at how social networking technology can better support older people in maintaining connections to the individuals and groups that mean the most to them. People over 60 tend to use the internet in different ways to younger people and most current social networking sites offer little incentive for them to engage. An older person is more likely to use the internet for information rather than social communication or entertainment, currently the primary focus of many sites."

"The Social Learning Network has been set up to foster conversations about the potential use of social, informal online learning in civil society"

"n summary: the dtlater exploration showed a lot of action in the field of social technology and later life, but also suggested that more could be achieved through great cooperation. As a next step we are going to experiment with some active social reporting and network building to try and show how that might be possible. It's an adhoc initiative by the team who have now completed the first phase of work."

"Next year the welfare system will undergo an overhaul as universal credit is introduced. The benefit, replacing six others, includes a new requirement to apply for benefits online. With millions of people having never used the internet, however, it raises the question of how those not online will manage. Universal credit is just one example of how, as our society becomes increasingly digitalised, those who are not online are at risk of becoming excluded. And it's not just a case of people opting not to be online."

As part of its ongoing open consultation, Nominet Trust brought together a group of experts this past week to think about how technology might be used to realise new opportunities - and address the persistent challenges such as social isolation, access to adequate care and pensioner poverty - facing people in later life. We weren't looking at how adding digital might make existing services more cost-effective or efficient; nor were we seeking specific solutions. Instead we were hoping to define some areas that would benefit from social innovation with technology.

Participle's vision is radical: public services which offer all citizens a fair chance to realise their potential. For citizens to have this chance, it is not enough for society to present them merely with opportunities. There must be a shared commitment to developing citizens' capabilities, so that all can acquire the skills necessary to seize and shape opportunities. At Participle, we do two things: Firstly, bring together the widespread community level ideas and creative activity, and mix it with world-leading experts in any given field; Secondly, drive forward thoughts and actions around developing a new social settlement which can deal with the big social issues of our time. 

"Welcome to Silverhairs. Full of informative features, special offers, discounts, competitions, helpful forums, social networks and much much more for the over 50s. Receive all the latest offers by registering for our Newsletter"

"The Centre for Social Action Innovation Fund is a £14m fund run by Nesta, the UK's Innovation Foundation, working in partnership with the Cabinet Office."

Helping communities tackle social and digital exclusion.

"Anyone who knows me, will know I am a gizmo diva. I love my gadgets. I find this amazing as I am useless at DIY and lack the desire and motivation to change the status quo. I consider myself a people person and the digital world enables me to connect with people all over the world. As I grow older (I am already of an age where I am described as a 'pensioner' Oh, how I hate labels!) I have come to the conclusion that my world will shrink and when that happens, my digital products will provide a lifeline for staying in touch with people wherever they are as well as maintaining my independence by shopping online etc."

"Someone tell us something we don't know. Like, how are we going to get the less digitally confident, and the people who'd like to go online but who are still trepidacious, whizzing around the net with panache and aplomb, saving money, having choice, wielding civic powers, keeping mentally alert, feeling less lonely and isolated? That seems to me to be, still (and with the advent of universal credit which will only be delivered online, increasingly so) the most pressing question. And not least because unless it can be achieved, the fabled and miraculous cost saving efficiencies that online promises a heavily indebted government are but (non digital) pie in the sky."

"We hope you enjoy this webcam recording of this week's podcast, featuring regular presenters Stuart Arnott from Mindings and Shirley Ayres, and this week's special guest, Murtz Abidi from Casserole Club."

Go On UK aims to make the UK the most digitally capable nation in the world. We are a charity with a big aim. We won't understate the scale of the challenge - but neither will we hide the size of the opportunity. Working alongside our inspiring Founder Partners, we want to ensure that everyone and every organisation - from small business to large corporations and charities - is able to enjoy the social, economic and cultural benefits of the internet.

"I would like to introduce you to just a few examples of exciting and cost effective innovations which could be promoted by local authorities. Many more example are included in my forthcoming eBook "The Click Guide to Digital Technology for Care""

"Independent Age, the charity that provides lifelong support to older people in need, has pledged to get older people online and help them stay there, enabling them to reap the benefits of improved links to the wider community."

We provide an information and advice service for older people, their families and carers, focusing on social care, welfare benefits and befriending services. This is integrated with local support, including one-to-one and group befriending schemes.

"Shaw Trust is a national charity which supports disabled and disadvantaged people to prepare for work, find jobs and live more independently. We believe everyone has the right to work and we have campaigned for 30 years to turn our vision into a reality. Every year we work with over 75,000 clients who face barriers due to disability, ill health or social circumstance. Thousands of employers and public sector organisations also benefit from our range of services for business. We are the UK's largest third sector provider and one of the Government's lead partners in the delivery of employment programmes for disabled and disadvantaged people."

"This page is a listing of ideas contributed in advance of the 23 October 2012 meeting at the RSA. It has been 'scraped' by Conrad Taylor from the projects online social space and from the group's open Google Doc; plus some ideas added later by Conrad himself."

""The potential of iPads to benefit seniors cannot be understated," Dan Cohen, a social worker who founded Apps for All, writes via E-mail. "To my surprise (and delight!), the most beneficial aspect of apps is the creation of a new common ground between older persons, their children, and their grandchildren ... The key to success with the iPad is to identify apps of interest to seniors, not razzle-dazzling them with one's favorite apps. What is (or was) their favorite hobby, interest, sport? Zoom into Google Earth's aerial view, or Mapquest's street view of their childhood home and school and you'll bring a smile to their face.""