The D8 Surfers Club has been running at The Digital Hub since 2015. It started life as a tutor-led class, where local residents, who had limited experience of communication tools and the internet, learned how to use a computer in a structured way, and were guided in their discovery of how digital technologies could benefit them in their everyday lives.
In the years since, the club evolved to a more informal drop-in session where participants meet weekly for two hours to learn from one another in a pleasant social environment, but in 2020 the weekly in-person club had to turn virtual in line with public health guidelines. The participants log onto their devices once a week to connect with each other and their tutor.
While it was a challenge to get all participants onto Zoom initially, the participants persevered and now look forward to the weekly virtual session.
The D8 Surfers has been a valuable source of connection and interaction for many in the area throughout Covid-19.