5.28 — Annual leave almost a distant memory — Hounslow Gets Digital day

Back from leave. I considered a weeknotes last week of just my holiday snaps but didn’t think that would get too many readers!

Really nice to have some time to switch off and 10 days in the Gran Canarian sunshine was lovely — although in true British manner over 30 degrees for the whole time was a bit too hot! Never happy I know. I read, I swum, I ate too much and may have had a lemonade or two — great time and good to switch off properly. But more than back to it now!

One of the reasons I went into the Office on my first fay back last week was to drop in on the Hounslow Gets Digital event on the ground floor in Hounslow House — this is part of the Digital Inclusion work across the Borough. Have to say was a great event, some of the highlights:

• 9 stalls covering online safety, digital health, digital inclusion, and digital drop-ins.
• 2 x resident sessions from ThreeDigital (how to use LinkedIn and Instagram for personal and business use)
• Laptops given to residents by Our Barn
• On the spot ‘Digital drop-ins’ — 4 Digital Champions helped 8 residents with their digital devices and cyber security
• 45 residents had their health checked and shown digital health app usage — Health outreach.
• Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) had a good turnout from residents and a lot of queries on visual impairment and technology were discussed and advice given.

This week was in the building for a couple of things. Wednesday was a session preparing for the next stages of my Level 7 management course with the Portfolio and the Strategic Business Proposal that I need to do in order to pass. Still got a lot to do! Going to lock ourselves in a room in November to get done. Was a useful session though…

Had a number of in person meetings on Tuesday as well — programme boards and team meetings — so good to be moving along things and doing it face to face.

We also were invited to the Housing Departments all hands meeting to give an update on the digital work that is taking place. So much change taking place here and the team did a great update on what’s happening and the importance of good data quality. Very well received and so important to be doing these things together.

Tune of the Week: A back to the 90’s feel: Jam And Spoon Right In The Night Remix HDTV