Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown—Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)— The social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult enough—how much worse would it have been if we hadn't been able to make use of digital tools to stay connected?

Unfortunately, more some people in the community, particularly our seniors, a lack of technological know-how meant the isolation was compounded. The amazing team at the Place, Charlestown's community centre, have been working with interested Charlestown locals to try and remedy that. Since November 2022, local community members and high school students have been training to become "Digital Mentors".

Equipped with skills learnt during this training, eighty-four people—twenty-four members of the general public and sixty local high school students—have gone on to support people over fifty in the community or within their own families in building important digital literacy skills. In total, the Place-trained Mentors invested 133 hours of their time training and supporting 82 community members. They celebrated with an awards night recently to acknowledge this positive work.

It is great to see the success of such a wonderful program. Congratulations to all the Mentors and thank you once again to the Place.

A Community Recognition Notice is an opportunity for an MP to submit a short statement praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Notice, please email and let me know!