Free digital help for older people is available in every town we cover, through Computer Friendly's volunteer drop-ins across St Albans and Harpenden, Digital Champion sessions in nearly every Hertfordshire library, and Computers and a Cuppa mornings in Radlett and Potters Bar. Nobody needs to book, and nobody is made to feel foolish. This article explains what the sessions do and where to find one.
In our experience the phone is the thing that quietly cuts an older person off. Grandchildren send photographs to a device that will not open them, the GP moves to online booking, and the bank closes the branch. An hour with a patient volunteer often does more for someone's week than anything we can arrange.
Why does digital help matter for older people?
The NHS guidance on loneliness in older people suggests keeping in touch by phone or video call and using social media to stay connected as ways to ease loneliness, and none of that works if the device is a mystery. Digital help sessions are not computer courses. They are places to bring the actual phone or tablet with the actual problem, and leave with it solved.
They are also a group. The Computer Friendly drop-ins and the library sessions have regulars, and the same volunteers week after week. For some people the help is the excuse, and the company is the point.
What kinds of digital help are there?
Computer Friendly is a St Albans charity that runs free drop-ins, donations welcome, at the Civic Centre, Marshalswick Baptist Free Church, London Colney, the Islamic Centres, the Spotted Dog in Flamstead, the Harpenden Trust Centre, the Salvation Army in Harpenden, Wheathampstead and Redbourn. It also runs low-cost courses and will find a home for a donated laptop or tablet.
Hertfordshire libraries run Digital Champion sessions, where a trained volunteer sits with you. On our pages they are listed for St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Hitchin, Hertford, Ware, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and Oakmere in Potters Bar, with the days and times for each. Computers and a Cuppa at the Radlett Centre and at the Wyllyotts Café in Potters Bar adds coffee to the same idea, and the Wheathampstead Internet Café does the same at the community library.
What does it cost, and what should you bring?
All of the sessions on our pages are free, with donations welcome at Computer Friendly. Bring the device, the charger, and any passwords you have written down. If the problem is an online form, bring the letter it came with. The volunteers will not do it for you, which is the point, but they will sit with you until it is done.
How do I get a parent to go?
Go with them the first time, and bring one specific problem rather than a general wish to understand the internet. One solved problem is what brings people back. The sessions are drop in, so there is no need to book, and a library is a familiar place for most older people.
Where getting there is the barrier, our companionship care includes a carer who goes with someone to a session and brings them home. Our carers also help with the small digital things between visits, such as a video call to a grandchild.
One more thing we have learned about digital help for older people: the first problem solved is usually photographs. Once the pictures of the grandchildren open, the rest follows, so if you are choosing the first thing to bring to a session, bring that.
Where to find digital help for older people near you
Each of our town pages lists the drop-ins and library sessions we know of under digital help, with the day, the venue and who runs it. We confirm the details with the organisers and check the pages every week.
St Albans · Harpenden · Radlett and Shenley · Hemel Hempstead · Berkhamsted · Tring · Hitchin · Hertford and Ware · Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield · Potters Bar · All of Hertfordshire
Common questions about digital help for older people
Is digital help for older people free in Hertfordshire?
Yes. Computer Friendly drop-ins are free with donations welcome, and library Digital Champion sessions are free. Computer Friendly's structured courses carry a small charge.
Can an older person get a free laptop or tablet?
Computer Friendly accepts donated laptops, tablets and phones and passes them to people who need them. Contact them through the details on our St Albans or Harpenden page to ask.
Can a carer help my parent with their phone?
Yes. Our companionship carers help with everyday digital tasks during visits, such as a video call or an online order, and can take someone to a drop-in session. Starling Homecare's St Albans office is on 01727 324 127.
If a parent's phone has become a source of worry rather than contact, a free drop-in is the place to start. The What's On for Older People pages list them town by town, and we are on 01727 324 127 if you would like to talk it through.
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here to guide you from your very first call.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide what feels right in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.