There was a competitive spirit in the air as two groups of older residents from Sussex Housing & Care’s sheltered housing schemes in Brighton and Mayfield competed in an online quiz to celebrate 'Older People’s Day 2013'.

The quiz teams used Skype to see and speak to their fellow residents and listen to the quiz questions which tested their knowledge of geography, music and films.

Supported by Sussex Housing & Care, these silver surfers are leading the way as they find out how new technology can benefit their lives.

Peter Catton, resident in Mayfield, said: "We've learnt a lot about Skype from the event and it was nice to be able to compete against residents from another location. ‘Older People’s Day’ is a great way for people to experience different things, and events like these are really interesting and good fun."

Competing resident Linda Davies from Brighton said: "Technology is extremely important for older people, it helps us keep in touch with the wider community and I believe it widens our horizons. I’m an avid user of Skype as I often connect with my daughter who lives in Canada, and I cannot imagine not using it anymore. Here’s to using this national event to encourage more older people to get connected."

Having a fast broadband connection in rural communities such as Mayfield truly benefits both the residents in the village as well as organisations such as Sussex Housing & Care in supporting older people to use new technologies and improve their quality of life.