It really was a case of friends reunited when two Camborne women traced each other after more than four decades years apart thanks to a computer course.

Sylvia Symons, a resident at Coastline Housing’s Veor House and Joan Petherick, who also lives in Camborne, were attending an award ceremony to recognise their achievements on a computing course run by Sylvia’s housing association, when they recognised each other as old work colleagues.

Both Sylvia and Joan, who had worked together as medical secretaries at the former Barncoose hospital in Redruth, hadn’t seen each other for 43 years.

Sylvia said: “We are delighted that Coastline has brought us back together and we certainly plan on staying in touch this time as we have a lot of catching up to do.”

Joan and Sylvia were just two of 11 people who successfully completed a six-week introduction to computing course run by Coastline and organised and funded by Get Digital and the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education.

The course is part of a wider initiative by Coastline to encourage more of its residents to get online.

Joan, who is about to celebrate her 80th birthday, wanted to be able to keep in touch with her son and family who live in Ghana. She said: “Although I’m a fluent typist, I need to learn how to use the latest computer equipment. I’ve got an enquiring mind and am very keen to learn new things. I’m simply not willing to vegetate.”

Resident Sylvia has a computer but wanted to become quicker with different programmes. She has now discovered a brand new hobby, producing her own range of greetings cards for different occasions.

Coastlineis planning to install internet cafés in four of its sheltered housing schemes.

Beth Lawton, Coastline’s head of information communication technology, said: “We know from our research that very few of our customers are online in any way, shape or form. Traditionally, older people are the ones least likely to engage in the internet. The cafés are not just about accessing the internet, we also have Nintendo Wiis and digital cameras to encourage people to get involved.”

Coastline’s first internet café was opened two years ago in Hens Horn Court, Helston, after the company won a competition run by Digital Unite. Miners Court, Redruth the first of three similar cafés planned, was opened towards the end of last year, along with Veor House in Camborne. Trelawney Court, Camborne will follow later this year.

As well as the computers, other equipment available includes a printer, projector and screen, digital camera and a web cam.

The residents have been using the facilities in a variety of ways from producing posters and cards to taking and uploading photos, sending emails and speaking with family and friends throughout the world using the web cam.