1. The Message By 2020 there will be: 40% more >60s; 10% fewer <20s; Your children will have less support in their ‘old age’.

2. The Medical Evidence: ‘Illiterates’ have a 7% incidence of Alzheimer’s; Those who studied beyond Secondary school have a 0.5% incidence (BMJ 1995)

3. The Medical Evidence: Beginning to learn in old age also improves performance; Delaying the onset of dementia will reduce its prevalence. (BMJ 1995)

4. Can the ‘Old’ Learn? (1) “ Research ” states : “Measurable indicators of cognitive capacity indicate no decrease before the age of 75 at least” (Svanborg 1988);

5. Can the ‘Old’ Learn? (2) “...from 81 onwards... a significant percentage (50%) of normal older adults fall below the average level of younger adults.” (Schaie 1983) –quoted by UNESCO 1995

6. A Statistical Riddle? I.e. 50% of the old do less well than half of the young So what’s new: –half the ‘Old’ do better than 50% of the young!

7. None refute that: Those who want to learn can learn; Learners have healthier longer lives; Healthier people cost less.

8. The 1992 Education act removed options for older learners; The fledgling U3A increased its membership by 30% per year; It still grows by 17% per year.Disenfranchised

9. Our response: Millennium = 100,000

10. Motivating the ‘Old’ We prove to them they can learn the new technology; Help to make it economically feasible; Show where they can be helpful.

11. The Real World Our age range is as large as two generations; Learning is a form of employment; Volunteers are ‘self funded’ workers, not free labour; They want some satisfaction out of what they do.

12. Spreading the word... Our standards of teaching vary; We cannot dictate what or how to teach; …but we can assist and advise and support.

13. Spreading the word... We need an information network; Members have designed and operate our own Web site; We aim to increase the computer literacy massively.

14. Resources With a Lottery Grant a Resource Centre has been produced; It is already being consulted intensively.

15. Wider and Wider A standardised software package is offered; Instruction sessions are held; We are open to advice; No one is ‘too old to learn’.

16. Practical steps... If they become house bound: They still want to join in; Remote operating provides practical help at a reasonable cost.

17. Practical steps... The instructor demonstrates on the learner’s screen; The learner reverses this to ensure he/she has understood; It can be done via the Internet.

18. Economics Pensioners are cost conscious; U3A is low cost and accessible; It helps setting up with inexpensive computers and software.

19. This presentation was produced on a computer costing £ 150