Blyth Resource and Initiative Centre receives £2k donation for new computers to improve digital skills courses

The charity, based at the Blyth Community Enterprise Centre on Ridley Street, offers courses to help people learn skills that will make them more employable, including computer skills.

It received a £2,158 grant from property developer The Banks Group’s community fund to upgrade some of its dated PCs, which will help with digital and other functional skills training.

BRIC chief executive Sharron Fawcett said: “Our aim is to upskill local people who do not have any qualifications, which is around one third of Blyth’s population, so that they have a better chance of developing the skills they need to catch an employer’s eye and achieve their potential.

“The computers we have had up to now have been essential for delivering our various different courses, but they have been gradually getting slower and slower.

“It has been taking users twice as long to complete tasks as it should do simply because of their processing speed, which can be really discouraging.

“We have been concerned that if the computers stopped working we would be unable to carry on running our courses, so being able to use Banks’ generous grant to bring our technology up to date has taken a real weight off our minds.

“The new computers have really speeded everything up for both our centre users and our expert course leaders, and they will make everyone’s training and learning goals much more achievable than they otherwise would have been.”

As well as classes, BRIC offers support services which help people overcome any barriers to employment, education, or training that they are facing.

Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at The Banks Group, added: “The BRIC team makes a practical difference to the prospects of local people in so many different ways, and is helping bring about real improvements to the quality of their life opportunities.

“We have supported dozens of brilliant charities and community organisations in this part of the world where we have had many property developments over the years, and we are very pleased to be able to add another one to the list.”