Digital festival returns

The Rochdale Online Team at the Digital Festival earlier this year

Rochdale Digital Festival, the event aimed at de-mystifying technology and showing just how useful, easy and fun to use it can be, will return in 2016.

The free one-day festival will be staged at Number One Riverside in Rochdale town centre on Saturday 27 February but there will also be events and activities across the borough, the details of which are due to be announced in the new year.

Organised by Rochdale Borough Council, the festival is designed to improve people’s digital skills with hands-on help and advice for all age groups.

People will be able to find out how to do online banking, how to browse products, shop or read a book online, and get tips on using smartphones and tablets. There will also be demonstrations of how residents can use the council website to avoid making telephone calls or face-to-face visits. There will be friendly faces on hand to show how easy it can be and tablets, phones and computers will be available for people to try.

Councillor Neil Emmott, the council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Neighbourhoods, said: “Digital technology is everywhere and using it can save time and money. It can also make things like finding a job or information a lot easier, so getting to grips with using it has never been more important.

"This year’s Rochdale Digital Festival helped hundreds of local people and the feedback was really positive. The event will provide a really useful hands-on interactive experience, and help people understand in a straightforward no nonsense way. Digital technology has become integrated into every aspect of society and is so important in terms of education, life chances, jobs and saving people money and time.”

The event will feature many local businesses, organisations, charities, volunteer groups and educational establishments.

Rochdale Digital Festival is being held as part of BeOnline 2016 – a national two week campaign to help people discover the internet and how it can help them make 2016 a year of transformation.