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Digital Inclusion Wales: 2008 Conference Report

Sharon Morris Rhondda Cynon Taff Community Radio Project

The conference was addressed by two people who have been heavily involved with Communities @One projects, Sharon Morris who is a beneficiary of the Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) Community Radio project and Stephen Harmes who co-ordinates the River Dee Community Church ICT project.

Sharon, who was first to the stage, talked about her journey from technophobe to active IT volunteer. Here is a summary of her presentation:

Sharon, who recently used IT for the first time at the age of 50, has always lived in Treherbert in the Rhondda. She explained that her 11 year old granddaughter is a “whiz on the computer”, which

carry out administrative tasks at Radio Cwmni, Sharon feared that she would not succeed. Despite her concerns, Sharon signed up for some informal training in Microsoft Office applications, e-mail and internet usage. The training was

>Others like her have learnt new skills while increasing their confidence and self-esteem in the process

Sharon found very embarrassing as she could not understand the things that she could do on the computer.

Sharon became interested in volunteering for her local community radio station (Radio Cwmni – part of a Communities @One funded project). She said that “as the area has lost a lot in recent times, the radio was proving a real boost for the community.” However, when being told that she would need to use a computer to

provided by a mentor that was associated to the project.

Just being able to send and receive an e-mail meant the world to Sharon. Sending ‘attachments’ was a source of further bemusement though “who wants to click on a paper clip?” she wondered.

Within a few months Sharon had made giant strides and was assisting Andrew Jones, project co-ordinator of the RCT

Community Radio project. Her role included the recruitment of volunteers to the three stations in Treherbert, Penrhys and Penywaun, as well as administrative support, internet- based research and studio work with volunteer presenters and contributors.

Sharon openly acknowledged that her voyage into the world of ICT has had a huge effect on her life and she knows that through the community radio project, others like her have learnt new skills while increasing their confidence and self-esteem in the process.

Sharon summed her experience up by saying that the radio project had provided “some sense of community again between our valleys.” To all that heard Sharon, it was evident that as well as the radio project having a powerful effect on the community as a whole, it was having a profound impact on the lives of those involved.