- Citizens Advice North East Derbyshire is grateful to the Morrisons Foundation for a generous £2,000 grant, which has funded new tablets and mobile phones for its Digital Connect device-loaning scheme.
- The devices will support residents across North East Derbyshire and Bolsover who lack the equipment needed to access essential online services.
- Digital Connect already provides one-to-one and group digital skills training to residents across both districts.
- Nationally, 1.6 million adults don’t own a smartphone, tablet or laptop, and 7.9 million lack basic digital skills.
Citizens Advice North East Derbyshire is delighted to have received a generous £2,000 grant from the Morrisons Foundation, which has funded new laptops, tablets and mobile phones for the device-loaning scheme run through its Digital Connect project.
Digital Connect supports residents across North East Derbyshire and Bolsover to build the digital skills now needed for everyday life – from sending emails and accessing government services such as the NHS App and Universal Credit journal, to staying in touch with family through messaging and video calls. The project delivers this through a mix of one-to-one support and group training sessions across both districts.
But skills alone aren’t enough. Good Things Foundation research shows that 1.6 million adults in the UK don’t have access to a smartphone, tablet or laptop , while 7.9 million lack basic digital skills altogether. Without a device to practise on, training has nowhere to go. Thanks to the Morrisons Foundation’s generosity, residents who would otherwise be locked out of essential services now have the equipment they need to take part.
Yingxue, Digital Inclusion Worker at Citizens Advice North East Derbyshire, said:
“Digital exclusion continues to be a significant issue for many people across the UK, and we see it every day in North East Derbyshire and Bolsover. While we can support people with the skills they need, often the issue is just as much about not having a device, or owning one that’s outdated. This funding helps us continue bridging the digital divide by providing people with all the tools they need to get online.”
To learn from the Digital Connect team or to find out more contact us or visit our website:
citizensadvicened.org.uk/digital-connect
