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Lets Work together to get basic digital access for Middlesbrough residents - follow up

Guest blog by Sue Kearney, CEO at The Hope Foundation

On the 24th June 2020 I had my blog published with the title 'Lets Work together to get basic digital access for Middlesbrough residents'.

Since then the collaborative work has continued and spread across the Tees Valley to address the issues of

  1. Lack of technical/ digital skills
  2. Having the right kit/ devices
  3. Data and connectivity

For point number 2 the setting up and work of furbdit (www.furbdit.org.uk) to collect devices, recycle them and then distribute through a range of distributors (over 40 currently) is helping to tackle the need for the right kit. 

For points 1 and 2 - updating of digital skills with data and connectivity is happening.

How can you as an organisation can get involved? There is an opportunity, through one of the partner organisations, to promote skills development and connectivity through the National Databank.

Join the National Digital Inclusion Network

Would you like to be part of the Good Things Foundation’s National Digital Inclusion Network which is made up of thousands of grassroots organisations that are all working to deliver digital inclusion support in their local communities?

Benefits of joining the network

If you’re a community organisation that is or wants to support your community members to get online and access the benefits of digital - then joining the network will help you do exactly that. It is free to join and offers a range of free services, such as: 

The National Databank is giving free mobile data to people who can’t afford their internet connection. By signing up to the network, you will be eligible to join and start giving out data vouchers. 

The network is open to any organisation that is delivering or wants to deliver digital inclusion support. Find out more and sign up here or contact hello@goodthingsfoundation.org for more information. If you need any help we are here as well at The Hope Foundation.

Apply for Digital Capability Grants

If you join the network you will be entitled to apply for the Digital Capability Grants up until Friday the 23rd of June at 12 noon. Don’t worry if you are not already a member of the network; apply to be a member and then apply for the funds, you don’t need to wait for your welcome call.

A Digital Inclusion Capability grant is to help your organisation deliver your proposal to embed Learn My Way (online digital skills courses) and the connectivity through the National Databank into your provision. This is a very exciting opportunity.

I know that it will help to help develop your capability to deliver digital inclusion. This is an excellent opportunity to secure funding to implement an idea you might have which benefits your organisation's sustainability and benefits those you support. 

They are looking to focus on developing something completely new or growing existing delivery supporting digital inclusion and digital skills activity or enhancing your current support offer.

I hope this might help you support your community to start to tackle the need for digital skills and data in some way.

I can’t believe that the last blog was written 3 years ago. Things are developing and I will be keeping you up to date with what is happening digitally in the Tees Valley. It definitely won’t be 3 years before the next update.

My last statement in the previous blog was:

I am keen to see this put into collaborative action across the Tees Valley but especially in Middlesbrough across all sectors. Please get in touch if you feel you can contribute, offer expertise and guidance or would like to be involved in any way.

This statement still stands. We have seen movement in this work but there is much more to do to help tackle digital poverty.