Computing

Meeting Details

What we do

Our aim is to encourage members to discover the potential of a personal computer (PC) and to use it with confidence.

We do not offer taught courses but provide one to one support for finding your way around a PC, basic word processing, spread sheets, data bases, desk top publishing, using the internet including e mails, and the opportunity to experiment with digital imagery. Members work at their own pace either on their own projects or using workbook materials that we provide. We have a team of tutors who are on hand to help.

Favourite activities include: writing letters, keeping your money in order, building an address book and producing address labels, making cards or calendars, shopping, keeping in touch, and playing around with your photos.

The Computing group at work

Our meeting room is equipped with PCs running Windows XP and Microsoft Office, and with a fast internet connection.

Members range from complete beginners to experienced users wanting to learn something new or brush up their skills. It is possible to join the group at any stage of the term, and we can also sometimes offer a short notice place for one or two weeks in the absence of a regular member. We draw up a waiting list if the group becomes over-subscribed.

There is a charge of £1 per session, and we ask members to pay for each half-term session in advance to ensure we make a consistent contribution to the high cost of hiring the computer room.

Reports

November 2009:
At the start of the autumn term, we were allocated a different room at the Queen Katherine School, in the Lower School. This gave us some limitations at first especially in the use of email and some technical challenges, which have now mostly been overcome, thanks to the persistence of out tutor group.
These sessions are informal and the aim of the tutors, who are all volunteers from the SLU3A membership, is to help at the level of each individual from complete beginners to those who want to revise or consolidate their skills.
Balancing the number of tutors to students is a weekly exercise; however at the time of writing we have no waiting list and warmly invite new members – please get in touch!

Fieke Harteveld

March 2009:
Firstly, on behalf of the tutors and all who have benefited from the group, we would like to extend warmest thanks to Margot Harvey, who has now retired as coordinator. She has given 8 years of tremendous commitment to the group as a whole and unstinting encouragement to individual participants.
We will continue to meet in Queen Katherine School on Appleby Road. The room we have used last year will be converted to a dance studio, but members whose names are on our list will be informed about the location of the computer room. At the moment we only know that it will be in the Lower School.
We will meet on Wednesdays from 3.45 till 5.45 pm, starting on 16th September to 21st October and after half term from 4th November to 9th December. There is free parking round the school (but please don’t arrive early).
Before September may we request existing members to let us know whether or not they will be returning. New members are warmly invited to telephone their interest or meet us at the open morning on 2nd September in the Town Hall. On behalf of the coordinators and the tutor team we look forward to seeing you in September. Sue Aikman (Deputy Coordinator)

March 2009:
We are now approaching the end of our first season at Queen Katherine School where we have made good use of the facilities. Over 50 members have attended – some for the full 2 terms or more, others for shorter periods as they top up their skills. Several have brought their own laptops and have received personalised help in unlocking the mysteries of these increasingly attractive but complex devices!
Our team of tutors has unfortunately been depleted by health problems this term and we send our very best wishes for a complete recovery to Pam and Judith, who have both undergone major surgery, and also to long term member Stella.
We finish for the summer on April 1st, which for me marks the end of an era – after 8 years as coordinator I am handing over to Sophia Harteveld. During that time as we have moved from the College, to Stricklandgate House to QKS, I have learnt a phenomenal amount, enjoyed meeting hundreds of members, and the support of a great team. Thank you to all, and best wishes for the future.

Margot Harvey