Sale resident and former soldier Arthur is Trafford’s king of the ‘silver surfers’

Meet Sale resident and former soldier Arthur Payne – Trafford Council’s king of the ‘silver surfers’.

Arthur Payne has been dubbed the “king of the silver surfers” in Trafford © Trafford Council

The 86-year-old is the most senior member of the Council’s Go Digital sessions and is loving his new life surfing the internet.

Arthur joins his other pals at the digital inclusion class – open to everyone - at Coppice Library in Sale every week.

The ex-soldier, who served in Malaysia during the 1950s, has learned skills to enable him to get online, shop on Amazon and contact friends via email.

Arthur, who has been taking part in the class for about ten weeks, said: “I didn’t really have any digital skills before I joined the class. I wasn’t sure how to get online properly and how to surf the internet.

“But, thanks to Bethany, who runs the class, I am now able to go online and shop on Amazon – which is fantastic. I can also send emails to friends as well. The class is really good fun and I’m so pleased to be learning so much. I would encourage others who struggle with the internet to get in touch with Bethany and join the class. It’s brilliant.”

Trafford Council is committed to ensuring everyone is able to have access to the internet and recently launched a digital inclusion initiative to provide hundreds of laptops to disadvantaged families as part of the Trafford Tech4All campaign. Devices were sold to low-income residents at the cut price of £60 at a series of community pop-up shops throughout the borough. 

If you’re over 50 and are interested in learning some basic skills using a tablet, you are welcome to join the informal Go Digital classes. The sessions will show you how to use a tablet to create and send an email, surf the web, spot online scams and chat with loved ones online. Refreshments, biscuits and conversation are provided. 

For further details and to get involved, contact Bethany on 07929 396581 or pop into your local library to register your interest.

Interested in being a Go Digital volunteer? You can support residents like Arthur in getting online and learning new digital skills - to express your interest, email digitaltrafford@trafford.gov.uk. 

Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “It is very important that all residents across our borough are able to get online and to learn how to get online to help them stay connected with friends, access the internet and look for work.

“The Go Digital classes are a superb idea and are proving to be very popular. It is vital that people of all ages possess the correct skills to be able to use the internet properly. Thank you to everyone who is working hard on providing the classes and well done to Arthur for proving that age is no barrier to learning new computer skills. He is an example to us all.”