By Saoirse Higgins
Features Editor
NUI Galway student Annemarie Clancy is encouraging students to volunteer for charity organisation Generation Tech.
Generation Tech is a charity organisation that was set up during the first lockdown to help over 65s with technical support whilst their cocooning. Since their beginning in the pandemic, Generation Tech have supported 1000’s of over 65s. The founders of Generation Tech noticed a gap in the market, so they have continued their service since the first lockdown.
Annemarie says it’s been a great success since the pandemic began. She believes it’s been great for making sure the over 65s are not forgotten about, “It’s great to know that our work is helping people to keep in contact with others during this challenging time. Often our callers feel a bit forgotten about, and they appreciate the service as it has been created specifically for their demographic.”
The volunteers at Generation Tech are tech experts and give advice over the phone. They help with technology related issues such as using printers, setting up zoom, wi-fi routers, or resetting email passwords. The volunteers patiently guide the caller through the issue. The call lasts an hour, however, if the problem takes longer than that the volunteer will call back the person who needs assistance. They are available Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm.
Annemarie, a digital marketing student, decided to volunteer at the charity during the pandemic. She was looking to get involved in volunteering work when she came across the charity on studentvolunteer.ie.
Annemarie says she was beckoned by the charity, “I’m really inspired by the idea of using technology for good. The fact that Generation Tech is one of the only organisations in Ireland providing support with technology to people over 65 also really appealed to me.”
Annemarie believes Generation Tech is a great organisation for students to volunteer at, “The team at Generation Tech is fantastic and the team is so supportive. Many of our volunteers are from Galway and there’s a great community atmosphere.”
Currently, Generation Tech are looking for marketing and PR volunteers. Annemarie says there are many benefits to volunteering at Generation Tech,
“there are lots of opportunities to gain experience in different roles and the tasks that need to be done are varied. I’ve personally developed social media, PR, project management, and leadership skills since I began volunteering. Also, employers like to see that students were proactive during the pandemic and volunteering with Generation Tech would be a great way to demonstrate how you developed your skills.”
If you or someone you know would benefit from this service, you can avail of it by calling these numbers: Republic of Ireland – 01-9633288, Northern Ireland – 02894 338 799.
You can also email them at INeedHelp@generationtech.ie.
