News / Tech Inclusion
New council scheme will tackle the digital divide
A new scheme from Bristol City Council will see laptops provided to those affected by the digital divide.
Working with Bristol Waste and partners across the city, it is part of an effort to reduce digital poverty.
A pilot has launched in south Bristol, providing 50 laptops to parents of two-year-olds who don’t have digital access but want to access further education, develop their skills or apply for work.
is needed now More than ever
If the pilot is successful, 3,600 laptops will be recycled and distributed throughout the city.
The council will use £250,000 of Covid-19 funding to roll out the Digital Inclusion scheme, which will not include schools but will support other priority groups, including people aged 19 and over with few or no qualifications, older people at risk of social isolation and young people aged 16 to19 (up to 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan) not in education, training or employment.
Laptops for schools are being funded by the Department for Education, which the council used to provide 1,300 laptops to vulnerable children in Bristol in 2020. There are also other schemes operating in the city that the council is working with to help support this.
The scheme is using a city-wide approach. Photo: DigiLocal
“Covid-19 has brought us huge challenges,” says mayor Marvin Rees. “Our hope is that by making it easier for people to have access to digital technology we can help people stay connected and find new opportunities.
“Many people are working hard to bring people together to look out for one another, and we want to work with organisations and individuals in our communities to make sure people are not left behind.”
People who don’t have access to digital devices and internet, or who don’t have basic IT skills, face significant barriers to education, training and employment.
It is also increasingly difficult access services and maintaining social connections with data and digital equipment.
All laptop recipients will also receive a starter data package, a free, introductory digital skills course and tutor support from the council’s Community Learning Team.
Partners across the city are supporting the wider Digital Inclusion scheme, including DigiLocal, Black South West Network, Bristol Beacon and Knowle West Media Centre.
“We know that the ability to access digital devices is incredibly important – now more than ever,” says councillor Anna Keen, cabinet lead for education and skills.
“This scheme is designed to reach people in our communities whose financial and personal lives have been hit hard by the pandemic, and help them bridge the digital divide.”
Main photo: DigiLocal
Read more: Laptops For Bristol: donate your old laptops
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