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The 2023 Big Give Christmas Challenge is starting soon
The Big Give Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest match-funded campaign. For seven days, the challenge offers supporters of Compaid the opportunity to double their donations — and, in doing so, make a difference to the digital skills support we offer to vulnerable people who need our help. You can donate to the campaign and help us reach our goal of £10,000 from Midday on Tuesday 28th November 2023 - Midday on Tuesday 5th December 2023. Our Big Give Campaign target this year aims to continue closing the digital divide for vulnerable people across Kent. Digital technology is a necessity for everything we do; it's how we communicate, access medical appointments, consume our news, shop, and entertain ourselves. What's clear is that digital technology now refers to a new world of exciting opportunities, especially for young people hoping to move into work. It is becoming clear that Digital skills are not just a convenience in today's world; they are a critical necessity for vulnerable learners to overcome barriers, access opportunities, and lead more inclusive and empowered lives. Compaid are here for anyone who requires our support to gain basic skills, to get online or simply understand how to use their digital devices. During this week’s challenge, your donation will be matched £ for £ at no extra cost to you! This means that if you give £10, Compaid will receive £20. An additional £2.50 on every £10 can be reclaimed by us, at no additional cost to you, if you are a UK taxpayer and tick the Gift Aid box. We appreciate times are financially tough for everyone now, so, whatever you can afford to donate will make a world of difference to someone in need. Save the date: 28th November at 12 noon is when you can donate to the Big Give Campaign! The festive season of giving is the best opportunity to give back to the community and make someone’s holiday season a little better! For more information about the Big Give Christmas Challenge, click here: https://biggive.org/christmas-challenge/
National Stress Awareness Day 2023
Johnny is a young man who attends our digital skills centre each week. He is kind, passionate and highly creative, but lives with learning and mobility challenges which present a certain level of stress in his daily life. We asked him about his challenges and how our support services help to relieve his stress. "There are times when my situation gets to me. I often get angry or sad because I can sense that people are frustrated with me because of my challenges and since I don’t have anyone to talk to about it, the stress can pile up. There are times I look at myself in the mirror and wonder how I even ended up like this. Some days I feel out of control, and it can get lonely without any way to express that.” Johnny has been attending Compaid for several years, and over that time, has focused his learning on reading and writing using specific software and equipment with the support of our encouraging trainers. Over time, we have noticed that he has become more open and easily makes friends, which he puts down to the comfortable and sociable atmosphere within our centre. “I have always loved trains. Gathering information about different locomotives, railway systems, and learning about how the engines have evolved over the years brings me so much joy. Initially not being able to use a computer to compile all my findings only added to my stress, as I couldn’t invest in my passion as much as I wanted to. That's where Compaid has really changed my life.” “The trainers understand what I’m going through with my dyslexia, and visual impairment, and that alone is a comfort. I use a high contrast keyboard which helps me see letters and keys easier, and the staff and volunteers encourage and support me while I work on improving my writing and reading through online courses. They are so patient and encouraging, and that really helps me feel better about my learning.” “I feel a lot more confident in myself now attending sessions at Compaid, writing helps me relax, express myself and be creative. I’ve written so many stories and now feel that I am confident enough to share with others. The more I write, the happier I feel, and it’s all thanks to Compaid.” We are aware that there are many more people like Johnny out there struggling alone. Could we help you or someone you know?
Compaid celebrates National Inclusion Week
National Inclusion Week is dedicated to championing inclusion and encourages people and organisations across the UK to make our world as accessible and inclusive of as many people as possible. Throughout our digital skills training centre and on our community transport, uplifting our service users is at the core of our mission and every day, our teams provide support that enables every individual who turns to us for help to feel valued and respected as they learn or travel with us. Jonathan, our Centre Co-ordinator, said about the week... “Digital technology is a necessity for everything we do, and any of us take for granted that we jump online to order our food, book appointments, and pay our bills. At Compaid, we believe that our support enables those in need to learn basic skills to get online safely & understand how to navigate the world of online socialising safely. “What's clear is that digital technology now refers to a new world of exciting opportunities, especially for some people who have physical or learning disabilities hoping to move into work or continue their education. By introducing programming & coding into our digital skills sessions, for example, it has proved to be an engaging and successful area for learners. Using this approach also improves literacy and numeracy skills, as programming languages require clear understanding and communications without using IT jargon. “Additionally, for some of our learners, years of creative writing work has finally come to fruition through publication with Compaid’s support. One client, who is recovering from a stroke some years ago, has just published her third book, and recently said, ‘You’ve given me my life back’.” As an organisation, our vision for disabled, older, and other vulnerable people is to help them realise their full potential and achieve better life outcomes, and National Inclusion Week highlights this and encourages us to continue doing so.
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