Free help with phones, laptops and the NHS App runs every weekday across Brighton & Hove. The council's new guide lists 11 weekly drop-ins, with times and numbers.

Free help with phones, tablets, laptops and online services runs somewhere in Brighton & Hove on every weekday. The city council has gathered it into one place: an updated online directory, an interactive map and a seven-page printable guide. It published them on Tuesday for Get Online Week (council, 20 October 2026).

The guide lists 11 weekly drop-ins, monthly sessions, bookable one-to-one help and free courses. Most of it is free. You can bring your own device or use the equipment provided, and the venues are accessible unless the guide says otherwise (printable guide, PDF).

The council says people on lower incomes, disabled people, older adults and people from ethnic minority communities can face extra barriers to getting online. Councillor Jacob Allen, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said digital skills matter for “keeping in touch with family, booking a doctor’s appointment, applying for a job, managing money or simply finding information”.

The weekly drop-ins

No booking is needed for these. The day, venue and hours below are as printed in the council’s guide.

Day Session and venue Hours Contact
Monday Job Club, help with job searching and CVs: Moulsecoomb Library, BN2 4PA 10am to 2pm 07519 500 090 (Job Club volunteer)
Tuesday Digital Drop-in: St Richard’s Church and Community Centre, Egmont Road, BN3 7FP 10am to 12pm 01273 706469, option 1
Tuesday Tea and Tech: Lavender House, Lavender Street, BN2 1LG 12pm to 1pm 01273 688 117
Tuesday ‘Click’ and ‘Connect’: Warrior Close Estate Office, Warrior Close, BN41 2JA 2pm to 4pm 01273 706469, option 1
Wednesday AbilityNet/AlbionLife: Old Boat Corner Community Centre, Carden Hill, BN1 8GN 10am to 12pm 01273 540779
Wednesday IT drop-in: St Richard’s Community Centre, Egmont Road, BN3 7FP 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm 01273 706469, option 1
Thursday IT training: Fitzherbert Community Centre, 2 Bristol Road, BN2 1AP 10.30am to 12.30pm 07557 875558
Thursday IT for Everyone: Albion Life Community Hub, Albion Hill, BN2 9NN 2pm to 5pm albiondigitalbn2@gmail.com
Friday The Bevy Job Club, CVs, job searching and applications: 50 Hillside, Bevendean, BN2 4TF 12pm to 2pm 01273 281009
Friday Vallance Computer Club: Conway Court, Sackville Road, BN3 3WR 2pm to 4pm 07364 238658
Monday to Friday Age UK Digital Help, for people aged 50 and over: 95 Queens Road, BN1 3XE Drop in, or call for times 0800 019 1310

Everything except the Age UK session is open to all ages.

Help with the NHS App

The Digital Ambassador Service gives free one-to-one help with the NHS App to anyone aged 13 or over. Book on 07808 646075. It runs:

  • at Old Boat Corner Community Centre, Carden Hill, on the last Wednesday of the month, 9.30am to 11.30am
  • at Hollingdean Community Centre, Thompson Road, on the second Thursday of the month, 12.30pm to 2.30pm
  • at Preston Park Surgery, Monday to Friday, for patients of participating local surgeries

One-to-one help you book

  • Library Connect: weekly one-to-one sessions for basic digital help at Jubilee, Hove, Rottingdean and Saltdean libraries. Free. Book on 01273 290800.
  • Tech Buddy at HOP 50+, Palmeira Square: Tuesdays 2pm to 3.30pm and Thursdays 10am to 12.30pm, for people aged 50 and over. Free. Book on 01273 729603.
  • Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project, 6 Tilbury Place: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10am to 4pm. Free. The guide notes there is no step-free access. Book on 01273 671213 or 01273 601211.
  • Tower House Community Centre, BN1 6WT: basic digital support. Free. Book on 01273 765688.
  • National Careers Service: careers advice and digital help at Jubilee Library every Wednesday, 10am to 5pm, and at Hove Library on the first Friday of the month. Free. Book on 0800 100 900.
  • AbilityNet: for disabled and older people, at home, in community venues or by phone. Free. Book on 0300 180 0028.
  • Age UK Digital Workshops, 95 Queens Road: second Tuesday of the month, 10.30am to 12pm. Free. Book on 0800 019 1310.
  • Age UK Help at Home: digital help in your own home for people aged 50 and over. This one is a paid service. Book on 0800 019 1310.

Two monthly groups combine digital help with wellbeing support for people from racially minoritised communities, both run by Bridging Change. Gather and Grow meets at Leach Court, Park Street, on the first Tuesday of the month, 12.30pm to 3.30pm, for people aged 50 and over. Rooted in Wellbeing meets at the Community Base, 113 Queens Road, on the second Thursday, 11am to 3pm.

Free courses

If you want a course rather than a quick fix, the guide lists four providers:

Provider Courses include Cost Book
Aldridge Adult Learning Essential Digital Skills Free 01273 422632
WEA Adult Learning Digital Skills for Learning; Digital Skills for Life and Work Free if eligible 0300 303 3464
AbilityNet Connect with Confidence Getting to know your device; staying safer online; managing your health online Free 0300 180 0028
Brighton & Hove Adult Education IT Skills for Beginners; IT Skills for Improvers Free if eligible 01273 296953

What it means for you

If you, or a parent or neighbour, keep getting stuck on a phone, an online form or the NHS App, there is a free session within reach most days of the week. Pick the nearest drop-in from the table and turn up. If you would rather have someone sit with you alone, book Library Connect or, for the over-50s, the Tech Buddy at HOP 50+.

The council says it will add free internet access points and help getting hold of a device to the directory later. The full list, with the map, is on the council’s Get connected page.

If you are looking for work, the two job clubs above sit alongside the Jobcentre. This month’s claimant count figures show 8,665 people in the city claiming unemployment-related benefits.

Sources