Despite being denied $400,000 of funding this year, SeniorNet has not had to raise fees and no centres in Otago have closed ... yet.
SeniorNet runs computer and online skills throughout the country for people over 50 but the Tertiary Education Council (TEC) declined funding for this year, citing a need to focus resources on other areas including under-25s and Maori and Pasifika education.
SeniorNet has 84 centres around the country, including Dunedin, Green Island, Mosgiel, Wanaka and Cromwell.
SeniorNet Otago president Anne Rodger said Otago centres had not made major changes as yet but membership was growing and changes were inevitable.
She was confident no centres in the region would have to close, but for that to happen, a hike in fees was likely.
Classes cost $5 an hour or $30 a year.
‘‘We are managing to maintain our service delivery to our clients. Certainly, there's no sign on the horizon that we are going to [close] ... but our members are really on notice that there may have to be some changes next year.‘‘We're really grateful for the other places that support the work we do,'' she said.
SeniorNet Federation executive officer Grant Sidaway said two centres had closed in Northland but he stopped short of saying it was because of a lack of funding.
‘‘We're working hard at the moment to see whether we can fill that $400,000 gap,'' Mr Sidaway said. ‘‘It's a huge gap to fill.''
The company was ‘‘dipping into our limited reserves'' to stay afloat and was looking at other funding options.
Some regions had already increased their fees, he said.
‘‘We will do our absolute best to find the extra funds [but] reality would suggest that the people that go to SeniorNet will have to pay more.''
There was ‘‘little or no chance'' the TEC would reconsider.
‘‘It was indicated pretty strongly that there would be no change to their priorities,'' Mr Sidaway said.
SeniorNet would not be applying for funding from the TEC again as Mr Sidaway wanted to focus on accessing funding from other organisations.
In a response to Otago Daily Times questions in September, TEC chief executive Tim Fowler said SeniorNet was welcome to apply for funding for 2017.
