Homes for Haringey helps older residents carry on surfing

Tuesday 6 January 2009

No one is too old to go surfing in cyberspace, as residents in Homes for Haringey’s sheltered housing have proved.

Eight residents of Hilldene Court, Alexandra Park Road, aged between 58-85, spent a day following up on what they learned during a ‘Silver Surfers Day’ back in May.

With the help of Homes for Haringey’s website and resident involvement staff, 71 year-old Jean Lowe, who had never used computers before, traced her grandfather, who was killed in the First World War. And Bill Wimbleton, 89, who learned how to use e-mail as a Silver Surfer in May, is able to keep in touch with distant friends in the USA, and now wants to use the Internet to trace any surviving comrades from his Navy days.

The free event, funded by Homes for Haringey and Haringey Council, was open to Hilldene residents aged 50 and over.

Residents at Hilldene gathered around their new computer on Silver Surfers Day

Silver Surfing in Haringey is proving so successful that plans are afoot to extend the programme. Three more sheltered housing schemes are set to benefit from Silver Surfers training.

Homes for Haringey Chief Executive, Paul Bridge, said, "Once people have mastered the art of using the Internet, they never look back, and have the world at their fingertips. Many of the residents at Hilldene have led fascinating lives, and we are delighted to be able to assist them in keeping in touch with their past histories and with the current wider world. I’d like to wish them happy surfing in the future.”

Notes for editors

Homes for Haringey is the Arms Length Management Organisation managing Haringey Council’s housing stock.

It is responsible for:

  • Services to approx 21,000 council owned properties: 16,700 tenanted and 4,500 leasehold
  • Tenancy and estate management
  • Housing management of supported housing
  • Rent collection and arrears management
  • Repairs and maintenance
  • Leasehold management
  • Resident involvement
  • Meeting the Decent Homes Standard.

To talk to someone about this news item, please contact us:

Email: communications@homesforharingey.org

Tel: 020 8489 2998

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