Pre-lockdown training session with the Enniskillen Macular Support Group.

The Enniskillen Macular Support Group came to Supporting Communities for help staying connected during the Coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, our Digital Inclusion Officer, Martin Quinn, had just delivered a very well attended 4-week digital skills course to the group just before the lockdown restrictions set in, and he has been able to continue teaching them new skills remotely.

Founded in 2009, the group has worked hard with the help of their members and volunteers to support people with Macular degeneration in the County Fermanagh area. Their work is dedicated to bringing together those affected with this kind of sight loss so that they may encourage each other to improve their lives by building self-confidence and independence. The digital course whetted the appetite of members to do more online and the group set up a WhatsApp group for members to keep in touch, which proved very timely indeed.

Because the majority of the group’s members are now cut off from family and other normal social activities, the importance of being able to connect digitally has become more important than ever. Over the last number of weeks, Martin has been supporting the group to stay connected using video calls which have proven very popular. He developed a ‘How to Guide’ for using Zoom and facilitated the group’s initial online meetings enabling members to stay connected and maintain an element of normality and social connection.

Doris Cutler, Chairperson of the group, said “I can’t thank Supporting Communities enough, they have been brilliant. We had so much trouble accessing digital training because of the additional needs of our members until they came along. The WhatsApp group is a great way of keeping connected and keeping each other’s spirits up, and the Zoom calls are just fantastic for us to be able to talk together.”

“Our members are all in the vulnerable group and have been shielding for weeks now. The Zoom calls and WhatsApp have shown us all the importance of embracing digital skills particularly now. ”

Ann Murphy, Assistant Secretary of the group, added, “Martin has been a great help to our group and has shown such patience in providing support over the phone. Our members are all in the vulnerable group and have been shielding for weeks now. The Zoom calls and WhatsApp have shown us all the importance of embracing digital skills particularly now. Martin has also made himself available for one to one phone support which several of our members have availed of.”

Martin commented, “It’s been really rewarding to see the commitment of this group to developing their skills and knowledge and finding ways to keeping in touch. The visual impairments of the members haven’t proved to be a barrier to getting better connected, and the video calls have been good craic for me as well as the ladies.”

Just last week, one of the members, Diane, organised the group’s first Zoom meeting without Martin’s help. “I’m so pleased to see the progression and the confidence of the group growing!” he said.