Celebrating success: our inspirational students at The Hive

30/10/2024

At The Hive, we recently celebrated our digital skills students, marking months of hard work and progress. We’re proud of all they've achieved so far. We're excited to share highlights and stories from this special event!

With the support of the Apasen disability group

Apasen learners face challenges with information processing, which can impact the skills needed to get online. To support their unique learning needs, they benefit from tailored educational programmes designed to help them develop digital skills.

Recently, we hosted a celebration for the Apasen disability group, who are on the programme focused on building these skills. This event was made possible by the generous support of Venture Helpers and Apasen, along with donations of laptops and USB sticks from the Good Things Foundation. The laptops, located at the Montefiore Centre, will be available to students throughout their course, with each student having a designated laptop for their digital training sessions. This setup helps students become familiar with their laptops, making it easier for them to learn effectively.

The day was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the students’ dedication and ongoing progress to our digital skills workshops. Through this course, they’ve already made strides toward greater independence with technology.

A huge shout out to our very own digital skills champions at The Hive! They volunteer their time to teach students basic IT skills, helping them navigate the digital world with confidence.

Shamsul’s journey to confidence

When Shamsul first joined the course, he had little confidence in his digital skills.

“I didn’t understand some IT properly, but the teachers really helped me,” he shared.

Fast forward to today, and Shamsul is not only confident but also passionate about giving back. Thanks to the skills our digital champions taught him, he’s now volunteering to help other residents get online.

“I want to be a teacher,” he said with pride.

Shamsul

Course overview

Our digital skills course is a collaboration between The Hive, Apasen, and Venture. It was designed to empower students with special needs by teaching essential tech skills. From mastering typing basics to independently searching for their favourite songs on YouTube, students made tremendous progress – all in a supportive, inclusive environment.

Ruki, who is the programme organiser, highlighted that this initiative wasn’t only just about getting online. Along the way, students went on trips, including to Buckingham Palace, enjoyed picnics in the park, and more. Learning here is about broadening horizons, making new connections and having fun!

Free laptops and USB sticks for all of the students

Meet Sujan – one of the digital skills students

Sujan had no prior computer experience. He struggled to type . With persistence, he learned so much, and can now type out his name, address, and date of birth – skills that will help him fill out forms online by himself.

“I can write my name and find songs” Sujan shared.

While typing was initially challenging, Sujan added that,

“the teachers really helped me.”

Sujan with his certificate

Meet Asma – one of the digital skills students

Asma can now confidently type her name, date of birth, and address. She initially found numbers on the screen difficult.

“My teachers always helped me,” she said.

Asma

Thank you to our digital skills champions

Students were supported by our digital skills champions at The Hive. These champions, who once took part in our digital skills course to develop their own computer skills, now volunteer to teach others.

Tarana, who is one of our digital skills champions, highlighted the remarkable development of students.

“Now students can type their names, make full sentences, change fonts, and even copy and paste text.” It’s amazing to see how these skills not only help students get online but also improve their writing and communication abilities.

A celebration of achievement

Our celebration event was filled with laughter, cheers, and moments of pride as Apasen’s Chief Financial Officer, Mahmud Hasan, took the stage to award students their certificates of completion—a meaningful recognition of their hard work and dedication. The room buzzed with excitement, and each student was thrilled to receive a laptop, a gift to support their tech journey toward greater independence.

Reflecting on the event, Mahmud Hasan, shared:

“The SEND digital celebration event was organised to congratulate our service users for their ongoing commitment to digital training and to recognise their progress. Each participant was awarded a laptop to support their continued growth and digital engagement.”

Riaz, who is the digital champions trainer highlighted that “By embracing digital literacy, students gain confidence and independence, empowering them to lead more inclusive, connected, and fulfilling lives in our increasingly digital world.”

Digital skills: a look ahead

We’re thrilled to see where these new skills will take our students. Many have already shown interest in volunteering at The Hive. We’re committed to supporting their future development and can’t wait to celebrate their next accomplishments.

If you know someone with special educational needs who could benefit from this course, please reach out to Riaz (thehivetraining@poplarharca.co.uk). And if you’re a resident looking to improve your digital skills, we offer free courses to help you get online and up to speed.

Meet our digital skills champions Sign up