About Us

In 1997, a group of community minded citizens in Palmerston North, assisted by the Rotary Club of Terrace End and sponsors, Telecom, AMP and Microsoft formed the SeniorNet computer club for older students of 55 and over. The age limit has since been reduced to 50.

The club is an Incorporated Society and opened with an elected committee on the 1st July 1997 with 5 second-hand computers. By 2000 it had 15 new computers, scanner, printer and much more. It outgrew its AMP premises at the end of 2000 and has now moved to new rooms in Ucol where members are able to use the very latest Ucol computer equipment. Training rooms are on the ground floor with easy access for those with disabilities.

The club is still growing. We have over 500 members, and 60 Tutors who are the backbone of the club. We provide a practise room for people without computers at home. The courses we run are on the Windows XP operating system and use Microsoft Works Suite 2003, which includes Word 2003.

All Club officials and all tutors are community minded volunteers who give their time freely to help others like you. No one gets paid. SeniorNet is non profit making and costs are kept to a minimum to keep them in reach of all Senior Citizens.

The annual subscription is currently $20 per member and our subscription year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Reduced subscriptions apply if joining in the second half of the year. All members receive a newsletter at regular intervals and are encouraged to attend the monthly `Club Day'. A number of interest groups operate within the club and members are welcome to join in.

The great strength of SeniorNet is in its policy of `Peer Tuition'. This means that you are being taught by other members (now tutors) who have volunteered to help teach you the very same skills they have recently learned. Their knowledge is fresh. They are not super experts whose explanations may go over your heads. They understand your initial fears and concerns. They know from recent experience how best to help you understand this new and sometimes frightening technology. Some are only one or two courses ahead of you. Mind you, there is also a lead tutor in support who has the dual task of training the new tutor and helping you at the same time. Most of us older adults have not been to school for up to 40 or 50 years, or more. We are no longer able to absorb and remember new instructions as quickly as we did when we were 16!! Some of us may have arthritis or other disabilities that can make using the mouse or keyboard a bit difficult.

Tutors of your own age group readily understand where you are at. Some 20,000 older New Zealanders can testify to the effectiveness of SeniorNet type tuition. It works and works well. At SeniorNet, you will not only gain new skills, but you will meet and make new friends. You will be able to send emails to friends and family. Best of all, you will begin to understand what your computer literate grandchildren are talking about.

Courses Available

• Introduction to computing
• Using Windows
• Word Processing (levels 1 & 2 )
• Advanced Microsoft Word
• Database
• Spreadsheet
• Desktop Publishing
• File Management
• Email and exploring the Internet
• Genealogy

Fees are currently $15 to $40 depending on course length.

Other courses are available from time to time.

Most main courses are 2 hours per week for 8 weeks while short courses are offered over 1 to 4 week periods, also usually of 2 hours duration.

Courses are offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. between 9am and 4pm. Wednesdays are kept free for meetings, tutor training, club days etc.

The club uses PCs, running Windows XP.

For further information call at the SeniorNet office on the ground floor of Block 8 of the Ucol campus between King and Queen Streets or phone (06) 359 4367 between 9.30 am and 3.30 pm weekdays.