Internet access ‘opens up world’ for Ray Davey

Ray Davey is building his family tree, connecting with loved ones through video chats, and enjoying new shows on YouTube thanks to his new free internet connection. “I didn’t have the internet before as there’s the cost factor. By the time you pay out, it’s quite a chunk of my pension. And the modem is quite a big cost. I was using the data on my phone for all internet searches,” Ray said.

Ray has gained new independence. He no longer needs to go to the library to get online and can pursue his interests from the comfort of his own home.

“It gives me independence and allows me to do my own thing at home. I still go out even though I have it. But it means I can do something different, watch something different.”

Ray is one of many Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust (ŌCHT) tenants enjoying two years of free Skinny Jump wireless internet, made possible through a collaboration between Enable, Skinny Jump and ŌCHT.

In conjunction with the free internet service, ŌCHT’s digital coach, Jo Cantrick, has been running digital training workshops across Christchurch since March. These workshops cover a wide range of topics including digital banking, searching on Google, using social media and YouTube, online shopping, how to use Google Maps and how to borrow online books from the library.

Ray is an advocate of digital training and has an encouraging message for those who may be hesitant. “What have you got to lose? You’re opening up another window, opening up the world. You’ve got the world at your fingertips. When I first started, I was scared of making mistakes but just stick with it, play around, you slowly learn. There’s so much information out there if you want to learn things, and there’s the social side of it. It’s a learning process and so is life, so get on your bike and learn it."