Wireless Wednesdays

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Wireless Wednesdays now take place every Wednesday throughout the year in the Community Advice Shop at the base of Madingley Tower.  The shop is open between 2pm and 6.30pm on these days. See the Events Calendar for dates. We have a regular group of volunteers who can help people on the estate apply for a FREE refurbished computer, register for FREE internet access or residents can bring in their own PC if they are having problems with it and we will try to sort it out. 

A typical Wireless Wednesday afternoon

Within five minutes of opening the door of The Community Advice Shop our first customer called in to say that she was having huge problems with her computer.  We asked her to bring the computer back to us, which she promptly did, and our volunteers set about diagnosing the fault and curing it.  This sounds quick and simple but, in actual fact, it took another 5 hours for the computer to be back to how it should be.  It had a number of viruses on it including a dreaded Trojan Horse but our IT wizards cleaned it up and at the end of the afternoon we had one very happy customer.

Shortly after this customer had deposited her PC with us our first person on the list for a refurbished computer arrived.  A volunteer sorted out an email address for her and as her brother was visiting her later on in the afternoon to set up the computer that was one demonstration we didn't have to do.

The next person to call in wanted to know if we gave basic IT classes.  He had a computer at home but didn't know how to use it and wondered if we could help.  (At the moment we don't do any classes but this is something we are considering in the near future, probably in conjunction with The Cambridge Road Computer Club.)  We asked if he could spare a few minutes and when he said yes, Colin showed him the basics of using a computer - how to switch it on, how to use a mouse and how to look at the sport pages of the Trinidad and Tobago newspapers.  We also suggested he take an aerial with him to boost his signal when he used the free internet on the estate.  He was so surprised and delighted to find that this was also FREE!

Throughout the afternoon we gave out three more refurbished computers to people on the waiting list, showed them how to access the free internet service and set them up with an email address if they needed one.

Our last customer was a guy with his own laptop that was causing him problems.  One of our volunteers showed him what was wrong and also showed him how to connect to the internet on the estate.  He also set him up with an email address. This gentleman had seen our flyers in the past asking if he wanted a refurbished computer or free internet access but had dismissed it as some sort of trick, it couldn't possibly be free!  It was only after bumping in to a volunteer on the estate that made him call in to the Community Shop on a Wireless Wednesday.  He was a happy man when he left and he knows he can come back to us if he has any more problems.

Community Connected and the Cambridge Road Computer Club had a stand at the CREST Fun Day on Saturday 12th September.  The weather was very kind to us - the sun shone and it was a perfect late summer day.  We were positioned near the Community Advice Shop and our aim was to make people aware of what goes on at a Wireless Wednesday. 

A few people registered for a refurbished PC and we had a number of enquiries about the free internet service we provide but what really surprised us was the amount of people who came to the stand who didn't know about services we provide.  Occasionally, for many reasons, the service can be temperamental, but remember, it is FREE! and we endeavour to sort out any problems with it as soon as we can.  So, come on residents - tell all your friends who live on the estate about us, please.