Outreach, based in North Manchester, offers a range of services which includes registered residential care homes with up to a maximum of 7 beds, supported living accommodation (shared and self contained flats) and domiciliary within the community.
They also facilitate leisure groups and a drop in centre.
They work with adults with a wide spectrum of needs and can tailor individual packages of support to meet specific needs.
In November 2015 they were awarded an ELMC grant of £1,000 to purchase laptop computers and monitors after a successful application by Manchester City Derby District.
The grant cheque was received by Akilal Akinola, the CEO of Outreach.
In a recent interview the CEO of Outreach, Akilal Akinola, explained how the grant had been spent. Although originally intended for the puchase of laptops and monitors, only the laptops had actually been puchased as, due to Outreach having the services of a willing IT volunteer, the remainder of the grant had been well spent in upgrading existing IT equipment.
One of the new laptops
Akilal explained that new motherboards had been fitted to existing PC’s and laptops and screens upgraded so a greater range of modern equipment wsa now available to users of the services of Outreach.
As well as being used at the Outreach drop in centre and administration offices, IT equipment is loaned out for their clients to use in their own homes. Training is given in the use IT including such things as internet access, research, word processing, etc.
Another Laptop in use at a training session
Akilal explained that the grant had been extremely beneficial in allowing the use of IT to be delivered to far more of the clients of Outreach. The staff could train users in house and follow this up in the home environment. This results in greater confidence and longer term prospects for those who have the use of the equipment.
Upgraded PC’s are used in the administration office of Outreach.
Akilal expressed thanks to the ELMC for the grant on behalf of Outreach and it’s clients who are benefitting from it.
For more information about Outreach see https://www.outreach.co.uk
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