They say you're never too old to learn something new and more than 70 resients of sheltered housing in Barnet have been putting this theory to the test by taking part in a project to learn IT skills.

The research, co-ordinated by Barnet Homes and funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chartered Institue of Housing, has enabled sheltered housing residents to produce a basic IT skills manual called PC With Confidence, which was launched at an awards ceremony this week.

The 74 residents, aged between 66 and 94, were joined by carers and sheltered housing staff in the project. They have spent the last 12 months learning to use the internet, email and word processor and many have found that it has opened up a whole new world to them.

One resident said: "We are older folk and most of us have some infirmities, which have limited our activities. The introduction to computers has expanded our horizons."

For many older people, access to IT equipment and training can be hard to find, which means that they can be effectively shut off from the benefits of using new technology.

This course, which is part of the three-year Innovation into Action project, can open new doors to IT and enables people in sheltered housing to take control of their own learning.

There can be a perception, however, that the older we get, the less interested we are in learning about new technology, but the participants of the course are living proof that nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, far from being baffled by the technology, many of the participants are looking forward to experimenting with computers. One of the oldest participants, Rebecca Kaufman, 94, said: "I am so excited about this - I want to learn how to write letters and send them through this thing called email. They say its more reliable than using the post."

Not only does the course teach older learners new IT skills, many participants say that just learning something new has given them renewed confidence in their abilities and they have discovered that computers can be great fun to use and explore.

One participant, Joe Giddins, summed it up by saying: "I really enjoyed the experience of learning. Now my computer has taken over from the telly as my main means of wasting time."

For more information on Barnet Homes Sheltered Housing IT courses or the PC with Confidence manual, contact Barnet Homes on 0800 389 5225, or for information on IT training for older people, contact Age Concern on 0800 009966.