Become a Bytes & Biscuits Digital Mentor
Free digital mentoring in Bairnsdale - volunteer and earn gaming time
Bytes & Biscuits is ESports Collective's free community digital mentoring program - and we need young people to run it. If you're comfortable with technology and want to give back to the Bairnsdale community, you can volunteer as a mentor and earn free gaming sessions at our Macleod Street venue in return.
Become a mentor →
What is Bytes & Biscuits digital mentoring?
Bytes & Biscuits is a free, drop-in digital mentoring program run by ESports Collective at our Macleod Street venue in Bairnsdale. Community members - primarily older adults - visit during session times for one-on-one support with their phones, tablets and laptops. Sessions are relaxed and informal, focused entirely on the individual's device or question, with no bookings required and no cost to attend.
The program operates under the Be Connected initiative - a national digital literacy program supported by Good Things Foundation Australia and the Australian Government. ESports Collective is an accredited Be Connected Network Partner, so the program is delivered within a nationally recognised framework that helps reduce digital exclusion in regional communities like East Gippsland.
For more about the program for community members, visit bytesandbiscuits.com.
How do I become a volunteer digital mentor?
No formal experience needed. Just patience, a bit of tech knowledge, and the ability to explain things without making someone feel silly.
Get in touch
Call 0468 009 660 or use the contact page. We'll have a brief conversation to confirm the program is a good fit, then book you into the next in-person training session.
Do the training
Training is delivered in person at our venue, structured around the Be Connected framework - covering the most common questions, how to communicate with people who have limited digital confidence, and what to do when you're unsure. Training hours earn free gaming time too.
Volunteer on your terms
Once trained, you choose how often you're involved - there's no minimum commitment. Each session you volunteer earns access to our full setup, including high-end PCs, consoles and sim racers, at no cost to you. If you need additional support to participate, just let us know.
What do mentors get out of it?
For many young people, the chance to contribute meaningfully to their community - without needing a car, a formal qualification, or an established work history - is reason enough. The professional development value is substantial too: mentoring builds communication skills, patience, and the capacity to explain complex things clearly, qualities consistently sought by employers and training providers.
We provide written confirmation of your volunteer hours and the skills developed - suitable for school community service requirements, Duke of Edinburgh, work experience portfolios or employment references. And for young people not accessing ESports Collective through an NDIS program and not in a position to pay for casual gaming, volunteering is a direct pathway to full access to our venue and equipment.
Bytes & Biscuits questions we hear most
For mentors and for the community members they help.
What is Bytes & Biscuits?
A free, drop-in digital mentoring program at ESports Collective in Bairnsdale, where community members - mainly older adults - get one-on-one help with phones, tablets and laptops. No bookings, no cost, delivered under the national Be Connected initiative.
Do I need qualifications to be a mentor?
No formal experience is required. If you're comfortable helping someone with a phone or laptop, you already have the foundation - training at the venue covers the rest, and the training hours earn free gaming time.
What do volunteer mentors earn?
Each session volunteered earns free access to the full ESports Collective setup - high-end PCs, consoles and sim racers - plus written confirmation of volunteer hours suitable for school requirements, Duke of Edinburgh and employment references.
How do older adults attend a session?
Just drop in during session times at 58 Macleod Street, Bairnsdale, with the device and the question - no booking and no cost. Call 0468 009 660 to check current session times.
Teach what you know
One conversation gets you started - call 0468 009 660 or send us a message.
Become a mentor →or call 0468 009 660