Melin residents will soon be reaping the rewards

Melin residents from North Torfaen will soon be making huge savings of over £500 a year thanks to a partnership with Welsh Assembly Government’s HoV programme that provides residents with home access to PCs and broadband.

Melin’s scheme, which is the first of its kind in Wales, aims to provide and install up to 500 home computers to help develop digital services in the area.

Historically, digital technology has had a low take up amongst social housing tenants, leaving them unable to reap the benefits such as job seeking, shopping online and comparison websites for utilities and insurance which can help them make savings of £560 a year.

This is part of a wider scheme of work in North Torfaen to develop digital technology which includes; installing fibre optic broadband, a digital learning centre at Melin owned, Church View, Blaenavon and technology rich learning in local schools, delivered by our partners, Torfaen County Borough Council.

Over the next few months, hundreds of computers will be delivered and set up for Melin residents. The computers will have desktop access to Melin, council and other important online services.

Access to broadband and IT training will also be provided to help people make the most of digital technology. The technology training centre at Church View will also help those people looking to develop formal qualifications in readiness for emerging job opportunities.

Kellie Beirne, Melin’s Director of Communities and Enterprise explained: “Access to digital services will provide many positive benefits for our residents as well as having a knock-on effect for us. Research shows that online transactions such as paying rent and applying for a home are more cost effective. We also want residents to be able to achieve value for money in the goods and services they will be able to buy on-line. Today, being digitally included means being financially included”.

Denise Timothy of Blaenavon was one of our first residents to receive her free computer. She said: “I am thrilled to bits. Having access to a computer and broadband will help me in so many ways. I have been out of work for a while so now I can check the internet every day for the latest jobs. I am also going to try online shopping to see if I can make savings,”