Pensioners living in the Dollis Hill area are being offered a free tablet thanks to a new initiative spearheaded by a Brent councillor and school.

Elderly residents have the chance to claim one of 20 3G gadgets for free and taught how use them by students from College of North West London, in Dudden Hill Lane, Willesden, as part of a new scheme to get older residents more tech savvy.

Cllr Alison Hopkins, who represents the Dollis Hill ward, said: “Having spent my a lot of my working life in IT I know how important it is to understand how to use computers and the latest gadgetry.

“For many elderly residents these tablets will help them keep in constant contact with family who may live abroad, which is incredibly important for those who live alone.”

The state of the art tablets were paid for using by the ward’s working fund at a special discount price sanctioned by Archos –the computing company that developed the mobile device.

A handful of the mobile devices were given away at a special event held at the Comber Close Community Centre, in Comber Close, Dollis Hill, earlier this month.

The latest give away will be held on March 31 at 2pm at the same location.

The £2,500 cost of the tablets have been meet through ward working funding which is used to address local priorities and the community.

For more information contact alexandermelia@hotmail.co.uk.