Skip to main content

Improved Access to Technology in Swansea

Improved Access to Technology in Swansea

Huw compressedWe support the work of various groups working with refugees and asylum seekers and our primary partner in Swansea is Unity in Diversity, a group which is entirely volunteer-led and runs twice-weekly sessions providing food, support and learning opportunities to asylum seekers and refugees.

One of Unity in Diversity’s aims is to provide an IT facility and our supporters have been very generous in donating three laptops and other computer equipment as well as financing a laser printer/scanner. Huw from Community Swan C Society has also given valuable support by providing a number of machines.

The IT facilities provided by Unity in Diversity are vital to the asylum seekers and refugees for various reasons:

  • AUIDllowing users to contact friends/loved ones via the Internet.
  • Allowing access to the government’s universal jobs-match website where claimants have to log their job-search activities (and as a result still be eligible for benefits). Individuals new to their full refugee status are supported in this daunting task by experienced service-user volunteers as well as Community Swan C Society project-worker Huw (pictured above).
  • Providing practice in areas such as word processing (UiD arrange classes in computers skills).
  • Enabling service users to make CVs (with the help of those that are now proficient in word processing) and emailing saved CVs to their email accounts for future use/updates.
  • Allowing people to access important emails from solicitors and to get help in understanding the process. Requested documents can also be scanned and sent to solicitors.
  • Watching/reading news from home in their own language.
  • UiD laptops are used for computer skills classes in other projects such as the African Community centre, empowering users with IT skills that can be passed-on to others.

IMG_8739 compressedIt is great to be able to work with such an inspiring group as Unity in Diversity and it is wonderful to see our supporters’ contributions in action – thank you to everybody for their support. Unity in Diversity would also like to say a big thank you to Huw and the Community Swan C Society project for their kind support.

If anybody has an unwanted laptop or a tablet that they would like to donate, please get in touch. Please note that UiD is unable to use pc towers due to storage limitations and having to carry equipment in and out of storage at the venue. A few more laptops would be vital to help more people to engage and benefit from the project.

If you would like to make a financial donation to Unity in Diversity, please click here.