William, 28 has become a Digital Champion after learning new skills at his local Online Centre Cafe Leep. He's now supporting other people with learning disabilities to get online.
Cafe Leep in Leeds is a self-advocacy organisation for people with learning disabilities. As well as supporting their clients, they educate the local community and are helping shift attitudes towards learning disabilities with their #AbilitiesNotDisabilities campaign.
Since first attending learning sessions at Cafe Leep - a member of the Online Centres Network - the team there have seen William’s confidence grow, and he’s become an invaluable volunteer.
Centre Manager, Mandy Haigh says: “William first joined our Learn My Way sessions a year ago and he enjoyed it so much that he continued learning in his own time as well. After completing Learn My Way, he has now been helping others at Cafe Leep to get more out of life online by becoming one of our Digital Champions.”
William has also gone on to use his digital skills to support the running of the cafe.
Mandy continues: “We work with an organisation called Fare Share which stops food going to landfill and it distributes food to our cafe. All the food we receive, William inputs onto the computer so that we know the best before dates and when to use them. He’s so helpful, we’re lucky to have him supporting us.”
William has become a real advocate for digital skills at Cafe Leep, about getting online, he says: “Everyone should do it, you’ll really like it!”