A community café which provides a vital resource for job-seekers in Salford has received a much needed upgrade.
The IT suite at the Ordsall Community Café was outdated and not fit for purpose for the hundreds of people a year who use the facility to find work.
So in stepped Salix Homes and contractors A Connolly who came to the rescue to install new computers and equipment.
As part of the upgrade, A Connolly worked with the Business in the Community charity to fit five new laptops and five new desktops computers as well as upgrade the broadband and software.
The community café on Tatton Street has been open since 2005 and, other than the library, is the only place in the area where locals can access computer equipment for free.
Sam Hickey, director of Ordsall Community Café, said: “A lot of people in this area don’t have computers at home and when it comes to applying for jobs, you have to do it online these days so the new computer equipment will make such a difference for us.”
Mark Foster, head of investment at Salix Homes, Caroline Yeo, customer leader at A Connolly Ltd, James Timpson OBE, and Sam Hickey, director of Ordsall Community Café
Mark Foster, head of investment at Salix Homes, said: “Families on the South Ordsall estate are now enjoying their new and improved homes, but Salix Homes is about so much more than bricks and mortar, so when we heard that Ordsall Community Café was struggling with its outdated IT equipment we asked our contractor to step in.
“Digital inclusion is a priority for Salix Homes and we have run a number of courses for our tenants at the café over the years so we know how much of a difference the new facilities will make to the community.”
HM Revenue and Customs will also be running digital inclusion courses at the café starting in December to teach people essential IT skills to improve their job prospects.
To reserve your place call Carla Whitworth on 07494 543183.
