Charities and community organisations can also access the £9.5million pot.
The new Digital Inclusion Fund is the latest UK Government attempt to bring every British resident online and improve their access to technologies many consider essential to everyday life in 2025. An estimated 1.6million people across the country are considered to be excluded from areas of society due to limited or non-existent access to things like the internet, while 7.9million adults lack basic skills.
Not only does this limit how much they can engage with various services, entertainment and communication platforms, many often find that offline alternatives come at a higher cost. Insurance, tickets for travel, and food regularly come with significantly higher prices ‘in real life’, with some people spending up to 25% more compared with their online counterparts.
‘It is unacceptable that in 2025, millions of people across the UK simply can’t access the vast opportunities that technology and the online world offers,’ said Sir Chris Bryant, Telecoms Minister. ‘Digital inclusion is an essential for modern life and work, not just something that’s nice to have, and it forms a critical part of our Plan for Change.
‘Making technology widely accessible could be the thing that means a sick patient can speak to a GP remotely, or that helps a young person successfully apply for a job,’ he continued. ‘Through this funding we’re moving further to empower local leaders and groups nationwide, who are already working tirelessly to get their communities connected and change countless lives for the better.’
Image: Surface / Unsplash
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