Minister joins Aberaeron community to surf the web

Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, visited Aberaeron Library yesterday to see first hand how the Welsh Government is helping people from the local community overcome barriers to being online.

Communities 2.0 has helped over 52,000 previously digitally excluded people to get online – this includes 1,600 people from Ceredigion.

The Minister met library staff and attended a Click Club digital session delivered in partnership with Age Cymru, which provides one-to-one support to older people from Ceredigion who need help to use technology and become safe internet users.

The Welsh Government has provided over £97,000 of funding through Communities 2.0 to support the establishment of the Digital Welfare West initiative, which tackles digital inclusion across Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Speaking from Aberaeron Library, the Minister said:

“I am delighted to see first hand how our Communities 2.0 programme is helping people from Aberaeron get online.

“In today’s digital world, people who do not use the internet are missing out on a variety of opportunities including cheaper goods and applying for jobs. As public services increasingly go online, it is important sessions such as the one I attended today are available to communities to ensure people are not left behind.

“I have really enjoyed my visit to Aberaeron library – it is a great place people can go to learn new skills. The library has been modernised thanks to £120,000 of Welsh Government funding so it now includes the latest ICT equipment as well as a dedicated area for training to take place.