IT’S July and Frome Community Education (FCE) emerges blinking into the sunlight, with some good news about the summer term and future plans.
FCE has been successful in securing a grant from Somerset Community Partnership for the weekly IT Drop-ins at the Cheese & Grain for the entire summer term.
Project worker for the free classes, Vicky James, says, “We have also been successful in our grant application with Frome Town Council to continue the drop-ins into the autumn, and to add cookery and writing for wellbeing to our free classes list.”
Drop-in sessions started up again in the spring term, after a cautious start because of Covid, and are now in full swing. A new team of tutors and volunteers have been helping people with accessing email accounts, organising files and folders, negotiating the universal credit website, using the Google search engine and with a variety of other IT needs.
Lead tutor for the sessions, Richard Ackroyd, said, “We can also help people who may be struggling with reading and writing skills and we have specialist programmes and volunteers with years of experience.”
A director of FCE, Sue Klepper, adds, “We have been helping people with the basic ‘language’ of computers, using a mouse and general keyboard skills for the last eight years. Whether you are filling in job applications, need help with a CV or application letter, we should be able to assist. If we can’t, then we hope we can point you in the right direction to groups such as Somerset Skills & Learning, Positive People, Active and in Touch or CAB.
“We have a huge list of other organisations in town that may be able to solve your problems. It is always a joy working on the mezzanine at the Cheese & Grain as there is so much going on, whether it be one of our own FCE leisure classes, Seetec doing advisory sessions for people seeking work, or a lively Wow session (Widows & Widowers group) in one of the classrooms. And downstairs there is always Monday’s Talking Cafe and, on Thursdays, Will’s digital cafe run through Health connections Mendip.”
Another FCE director, Sandy Usher, said, “We are so thrilled that we can continue working at the Cheese & Grain through these grants and we hope that people will just pluck up the courage to come up the stairs and meet the team on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am to midday. It’s friendly and it’s free.”
