Get on board and get online - tech bus coming to York!

16 October 2015

Knowing a tablet from a desktop, and your online services from your social content will become a lot easier for people in York on 16 October, when York Housing Association and City of York Council join forces to bring the HUGO (Helping U Get Online) Bus to York’s Parliament Street.

With just about every kind of service now available on the internet – from ordering your weekly groceries to requesting a new dustbin – York Housing Association’s digital inclusion officer, Stuart Gray, will be offering advice and tips to internet novices throughout the day, with a wide range of equipment on the bus for visitors to try out supported by a friendly expert.

“The internet offers us an amazing resource, but for many people, getting your head around this limitless network of online services and products can be terrifyingly daunting, so we’re bringing together a host of experts who can give completely impartial advice on basic skills, money saving and even using the internet to stay in touch with relatives on the other side of the world,” comments Kate Spencer, deputy chief executive of York Housing Association.  “We can give you practical and helpful advice to help you access online services whether you are a regular internet user, or a first-time explorer.”

Indeed, York Housing Association’s digital inclusion team has already saved many of its tenants hundreds of pounds on their bills through demonstrating price comparison websites, which cover anything from house and car insurance to electricity and gas providers.  “We hear all the time on TV about how you can save money by shopping around between providers, but often, the only way you can do this is by searching online,” explains Stuart.  “We can show you how to do this so that you can save a fortune on essential services even if you don’t own a computer, by helping you find the nearest library or services to you, and if you have got an internet-ready device but no connection, we can show you how to use free wifi access on the bus and around the city.”

The HUGO Bus’s visit to York is part of the national Get Online Week, which runs from 12-18 October 2015.  The bus will be visiting Parliament Street from 10.30am to 5.00pm.

Cllr Ian Gillies, Executive Member responsible for digital infrastructure at City of York Council, said: “We would like to encourage more and more people to find out how they can find information and carry out transactions online. Whether it’s to find a home or job, I’d urge people new to the internet to board the Hugo bus and get online.”

For more details, please call York Housing Association on 01904 636061.

ENDS

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         01904 500698

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk