We have agreed an additional £50,000 of funding to help strengthen digital inclusion work across Derbyshire.
Public Health Director Ellie Houlston said:
“People are digitally excluded if they face barriers to accessing the internet or engaging online.
“This is turn can prevent them from reaching the services they need, missing out on help and support or making them feel cut off from their wider community.
“There is a strong link between digital exclusion, financial exclusion, and social exclusion. It can even mean they are unable to fully participate in society in the way that they may want to.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic we saw this ‘digital divide’ widen even more as more products and services moved online.
“Therefore it’s important to ensure that we continue to provide funding to enable more residents to become digitally included, connected, and confident.”
The fund will be managed on our behalf by Rural Action Derbyshire who will oversee the delivery of digital inclusion small grants across Derbyshire.
Previous funding has resulted in over £47,000 being allocated to organisations, thousands of Derbyshire residents being supported to get online, and groups offered digital training.
Building on the success of previous funding, the additional funding will expand the reach, and scope of the current small grants programme.
This will include activity to improve digital health, digital online safety and driving up skills to improve employment opportunities for Derbyshire residents.