A PROJECT aimed at helping residents get equal access to the internet has been expanded thanks to a new community grant.

Citizens Advice County Durham has been awarded £15,000 by Karbon Homes to expand the Online Owls programme to thousands more people.

Research found that 16 per cent of adults in County Durham have never been online and more than a quarter lacked basic IT skills, which in turn put them at a disadvantage in getting a job, getting the cheapest deals for gas and electricity and dealing with banks and benefits.

Online Owls has been successfully operated in Chester-le-Street since 2014, teaching adults and young people basic IT skills.

John Martindale, 83, of The Elms in Chester-le-Street, is attending the sessions to learn how to use his tablet.

He said: “I find these sessions really helpful and it gives me the confidence to access information from my device.

“I have also learnt how to use FaceTime so I can regularly keep in touch with my son who lives in Scotland.”

Neil Bradbury, chief executive of Citizens’ Advice County Durham, said: “This grant enables us to expand the service into new areas targeting a wider range of residents including 4,500 Karbon Homes’ properties in Durham and Chester-le-Street and helps to address the large digital divide between owner occupiers and social housing tenants across the county.

“The lack of ability to utilise and engage digitally leads to higher utility bills, problems with banking and benefits, a lack of knowledge about community events and lower employment and health outcomes.”

Paul Hadden, Community Involvement Officer at Karbon Homes, said: “Most jobs these days require at least very basic IT skills and this project will help residents to learn how to use a computer and get online.

New College Durham students are taking part in the project, offering help to older members of the programme.

For more information, contact Online Owls on 0191 385 1436.