Easy site clicks with older generation

11:11pm Wednesday 18th June 2008

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A new website aims to bring the internet to life for people more familiar with their pension book than Facebook.

Finerday.com was dreamt up by former care home manager Lilla Harris and Brighton-based entrepreneur Harry Bashford.

Developed by Kwiqq, a team based at the Sussex University Innovation Centre which specialises in online social networks, the site is designed for grandparents to email, text and video-call their families by using just two clicks of the mouse button.

Mr Bashford said: "When Lilla left the care home she managed, she said the one thing she regretted was not installing computers to help older people learn to use the internet.

"There are 18.5 million people in the UK who don't have an internet connection and most of them are older people.

"She approached me because I have a background in IT and together we went into care homes and started experimenting with different interfaces.

"Without dumbing down, we wanted something that would be easy to use for older people and just as cool to use for younger people as an iPhone." Finerday.com simplifies family members' email systems, such as hotmail and gmail, texts and skype addresses into a simple page that allows anyone to click on the icon of an individual and send or receive messages.

Mr Bashford said: "We don't want to drag people out of the technology they already use, so it works with other systems such as gmail and Facebook. It doesn't matter where you are on the internet, granny can get in contact."

Finerday.com almost made it on to the Dragons' Den TV show but was rejected at the final hurdle.

However, the team shrugged off this disappointment and have seen their idea go from strength to strength.

They have signed a deal with Four Seasons Healthcare to install the system in some of its care homes, including Dane House in Dyke Road, Brighton.

It is being given away free, with the company hoping to make money through advertising, joining up with major retailers to sell products through the site and sell its own greetings cards. Residents at Dane House were delighted to try out Finerday.

com for the first time. Olive Foster, 89, said: "It's really wonderful.

"I just cannot believe you can see all of your family's photos. I have family all over. I can't wait to see them."

Sheila Upson, 91, added: "It is marvellous. I will be able to look at photos any time I want."

The technology is being supported by computing giants Microsoft, Intel and Sun Microsystems, as well as attracting the interest of the BBC.