A SCHEME connecting isolated older people across the district to computer technology has been awarded a £500,000 Big Lottery grant.

The money will be spread over three years to help over-65s who live alone to interact more with the help of social media and Skype.

Positive Minds will be working with Shipley-based Carers’ Resource as its lead partner to plan a number of projects, involving one-to-one home visits and small skills groups, using technology to combat loneliness.

Around 25,000 to 28,000 over 65-year-olds in the district live by themselves, which can lead to an increased probability of depression, bad health and poor mobility – and the problems get even worse for those alone and over 80, says the charity.

Positive Minds Bradford, a partnership of nine local organisations including the statutory and voluntary sector, has already piloted a successful small project in the Worth Valley to tackle depression in older people by introducing them to the internet, which helped win the Lottery bid.

Marilyn Foster, chairman of Positive Minds, said: “Older people are not normally seen to welcome utilising technology to make their lives easier. We have an innovative project which will work across the district to support older people in the use of technology, and for it to open new doors to social inclusion.

“It’s far too easy to say that older people are technophobes, but we are finding that with support the internet can open up a whole new world of keeping active, getting information and creating reasons to connect with others – thereby reducing the likelihood of depression.”

By using technology, the older people taking part in the project will learn to be able to keep in touch with distant relatives, get NHS information and shop online to become better connected.

The Positive Minds – Worth Connecting 2 project got the biggest share of the £574,057 awarded to nine groups in the Bradford area.

The others were:

Sandy Lane Cricket Club, £7,300 for children’s cricket coaching; Aspire Higher Academy Ltd, Low Moor, £10,000 to run arts and crafts sessions for young people with poor mental health; Muslim Women’s Council, £9,982 to help women experiencing family or marriage breakdown; UK – Butterflies Ltd, £9,890 to run drop-in sessions for vulnerable Eastern European women in the city; SORTED wellbeing plan, £9,725 to identify gaps and strengths in local services in Bradford; Confianza training project, £9,993 to help local unemployed people start up a business; support network to improve parenting skills and increase access to support services in the Bradford as part of the Raised In Bradford project, £7,857; and Holme Wood Good Neighbour Project, £9,895 to look at the needs of people aged over 50 in the community.