Help needed for tutoring service

Published 5:00am 26 August 2023

Words by Nick Crockford

Brisbane Seniors Online (BSOL) is appealing for new volunteers to help it move back to a home tutoring service in the City of Moreton Bay.

A shortage of active mentors has forced BSOL, which has operated in Redcliffe and neighbouring suburbs for more than 20 years, to run some tutoring remotely.

However, organisers say home tutoring is “more conducive to more confident and quicker learning” on an individual’s own device.

Volunteer mentors visit homes of seniors and over 50s providing tutoring at a pace that suits the individual. The average age of BSOL learners is about 74.

Learning curve

Mentors need to be able to confidently relate to learners of a similar age, empathetic and can be male or female.

Tutoring can help seniors adapt to the increasing financial and business activity which has to be done online at a time when the level of scams and fraud is rising.

Losses from scams have reached record levels with Australian Competition and Consumer Commission data showing Australians lost $3.1 billion in 2022 – up 80 per cent on 2021.

The Peninsula hub of BSOL is one of nine and covers an area from Redcliffe to North Lakes, Petrie, Kippa-Ring, Rothwell, Mango Hill and Kallangur.

Contact Brisbane Seniors Online on 3393 2225 or visit www.bsol.asn.au and Facebook.com/BrisbaneSeniorsOnline