Hi – Alan here - My fascination with digital technology arises from my initial lack of understanding. What I mean is that while I recognise the incredible benefits of digital advancements, there are times when I feel inexperienced in the digital realm. The DigiRen network provides me with a valuable opportunity to stay informed about new developments and ideas. It also connects me with individuals who possess a deeper understanding of how to adopt and implement the necessary technology. It's an excellent environment for both learning and sharing insights!

My role is all about helping Renfrewshire tenants to get online and make the best use of digital technologies. It can be confusing for people to navigate the many digital options available out there so I try to make things understandable, and I often learn something new along the way. I assist with in-person training alongside raising digital awareness and policy through events and information sessions. The DigiRen Network has been invaluable for this digital outreach and helped support inclusion for the residents of Renfrewshire, by tackling the digital divide - all thanks to the incredible community behind it.

Hi Everyone 👋, James here.  I have always been very inquisitive and not long after leaving school (many years ago), I owned my first computer (a Packard Bell 333mhz processor 🙊).  Within a matter of hours of setting it up, I did something to it which meant it no longer worked (to this day, I still don’t know what I did 🤷‍♂️).  This is where my digital inclusion journey began.

Around the same time, I became a “Computer Buddy” within my local Library and found this role very beneficial as it helped me better understand the challenges people faced getting online.  It was also a very rewarding role and fantastic seeing people’s confidence grow and the look on their face when they opened their first document, created their first poster or logged onto the internet for the first time.

The DigiRen Network is an incredible group of like-minded individuals and organisations that all share a common interest of promoting and enabling digital inclusion across Renfrewshire – almost like a Digital Inclusion family.  It provides a safe space for organisations to share learning, support and help each other whilst also promoting cross-sector collaboration and deliver outcomes for our communities, which really excites me!