Dinnington’s Laura becomes online campaign poster woman

Laura Jenkin (26), of Plantation Avenue, has appeared on posters for this year’s national Get Online Week campaign. 

She was chosen alongside Sheffield’s Ali Zain Ali, who moved to South Yorkshire to escape the unrest in Yemen.

Laura said she was surprised and delighted at being chosen to appear on the posters — but said it was a bit strange to see them hung up in her local library.

Laura only signed up to Computers Within Reach in Dinnington a few weeks ago to help improve her literacy and maths skills in order to better find work.

But manager Simon Pugh asked her if she would be willing to have her name put forward to be on the poster.

Laura said: “It was a big surprise.

“It’s scary to think about it but it’s some achievement.

“I went to my local library and walked in and said: ‘Oh, no’ as they have got the posters up all over.”

Laura said that she had to wear make-up for the photoshoot so people might not recognise her, and is trying to steer her mum away from spotting the posters but she said her friends were pleased for her.

Laura said she enjoyed computers and would like a career in that field, adding: “I like working with computers, taking them apart and rebuilding them.”

Laura and Ali were chosen from hundreds of nominations for the Get Online Week posters and leaflets being displayed up and down the country.  

The 11th annual Get Online Week campaign — which took place from October 2 to October 8 — was run by digital and social inclusion charity Good Things Foundation. 

Simon Pugh, manager of Computers Within Reach in Dinnington, said the organisation had been delivering computer courses for ten years to people across Rotherham.

Helen Milner, chief executive of Good Things Foundation, said: “Laura and Ali are both brilliant adverts for getting online, in really different ways.

“Laura proves that even younger people who many consider to be digital natives often need help using the internet for more complex things like applying for jobs and engaging with local and national government services.

“Just because they grew up in the digital age, doesn’t mean all young people are experts in every aspect of the internet.”