Estate residents can surf the Net

3:10pm Friday 6th April 2001

CUTTING-EDGE computer facilities are planned for a Lewisham housing estate, following a lottery windfall of almost £75,000.

Honor Oak Youth Centre will benefit from an online learning centre, designed to encourage residents to develop new internet skills, scheduled to open in the summer.

Lewisham Council's deputy head of youth service Dennis Hunter was keen to emphasise the facilities would be open to all.

He said: “The ICT suite will allow children to learn basic skills, communities to use desk-top software to produce news letters, and elderly people to surf the internet.

“We hope to build activities relevant to the whole community so children can pass their knowledge to adults.

Adults can in turn hand down their expertise in other subjects.”

The cash is part of £1.75m which has been allocated from the National Lottery's New Opportunities fund.

Fund chief executive Steven Dunmore said: “Nowadays, using a computer is as easy as using a telephone, once you know how.

“These exciting schemes will bring know-how' to local communities everywhere.

“It will also open doors to further learning.”

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