London volunteer celebrated with Long Service Award

Annie Mannion | 03 Sep 2026

Jo Garner, holding her certificateJo Garner, one of our team of 500+ AbilityNet Tech Volunteers, is this month celebrating 15 amazing years with us volunteering his time to help others.

We're thrilled to present Jo, pictured, with her Long Service Award for her 15 years supporting people as an AbilityNet Tech Volunteer in West London.

Jo has helped hundreds of older or disabled people in her area to use technology and complete online tasks, as part of the volunteer network within our free IT Support service.

Thinking back on her time so far with AbilityNet, Jo noted:

"Personally every visit to a client represents a new opportunity to learn - tech is forever changing and this is a great volunteer role to stay slightly ahead of the curve! I’ve met so many lovely people over my 15 years and established a few long-term friendships along the way. It’s very satisfying to solve problems with small adjustments that make huge differences,"

Jo was previously celebrated with a 10 year long service award, and also features in our short film about how she helps clients in her area:

Download the transcript of the video [Word doc].

Need help with your digital device?

Get help from our volunteers with most computer systems, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other smart devices such as Smart TVs, Alexa speakers and Google Home devices.

All volunteers are DBS checked and can assist you by phone, over the internet or at home. They offer one to one support tailored to you, at your pace.

In addition to help provided by our network of volunteers, get digital skills support in your area via our partnership with BT.

Hand holding a smartphone playing a podcastAbilityNet and BT joint logoFree webinar: How to access TV, films, music and podcasts online

Wednesday 23 September 2026, 1pm BST

Learn about:

- Streaming TV and films with services such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Netflix
- Listening to music, radio and podcasts
- Finding audiobooks and eBooks
- Watching live and catch-up television
- Useful accessibility features that make entertainment easier to enjoy

 

Register for the webinar

Why volunteer with AbilityNet?

"So rewarding, doing what I love and seeing people benefit, sometimes life changing, sometimes just making a client's life a bit easier, a bit more fun, a bit less isolated."

Could you dedicate any time to helping older or disabled people in your community? 

We're always keen to welcome new tech volunteers so if you're reading this and would like to get involved, please get in contact.

    Become an AbilityNet volunteer

     

    How AbilityNet can help

    AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.