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Volunteer Digital Buddies

CLASP
VO89819

"Do you have the time, patience and empathy to help a learner get to grips with digital technology to help them live more independently whilst maintaining social connections? Please read on…

Digital Buddies (DigiBuds) meet with learners and support them to develop their digital skills initially through six 1-hour sessions and then in small groups. Everyone is different, so you may support a learner with everything they need quite easily whereas others might require more support to grasp the basics, so you’ll need to spend a little time repeating what you’ve gone over, checking understanding and coaching them through each step.

The digital buddy role is a great support for our service users, recent figures by Connecting Scotland show that when people engaged in digital training:
• 86% of respondents reported an improvement in their ability to stay in touch with each other.
• 83% of respondents reported an improvement in being able to find interests.
• 74% reported an improvement in their mental health.

You don’t need to be an expert in technology or tutoring, but as long as you have the willingness to help, are patient and have confidence in your own digital skills, you’ll be a great Digital Buddy! Being fond of a chat is also helpful too, as this will help you build a rapport with your learner and find some common ground to start from. Other qualities we look for include:
• Problem solving approach
• Patience and good people skills
• Reliability and flexible
• A willingness to learn news skills and concepts

How this role can benefit you:
• Full training and ongoing support to help you carry out your role
• Travel expenses
• Practical experience and skills that you can add to your CV – such as coaching and mentoring
• Satisfaction that you have made a difference to the lives of others – volunteering your time can also help improve your own mental health and wellbeing.
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