News and views

Digital Unite is delighted to be working with Nottinghamshire County Council on their Nottinghamshire Digital Champions Network (NDCN).

This year’s Spring Online campaign (20 - 26 April) saw hundreds of events held across the UK to help inspire local people to have a lasting use of the internet.

Helping people to ‘spring online’

“At 71 I never thought I would do this, I am so glad I came”.

Digital Unite’s national digital inclusion campaign, Spring Online is taking place next week between 20 – 26 April 2015.

Milton Keynes Council has become the latest member of Digital Unite’s Digital Champions Network.

Following their successful receipt of funding from the Local Government Association’s Digital Experts Programme the Council will be using the Network to help residents with the impact of Welfare Reform and Universal Credit.

North Hertfordshire Homes, a member of the Digital Champions Network and providers of over 9000 homes, have announced a campaign to help their tenants get online.

 Leading housing association L&Q has enlisted Digital Unite to deliver a three-year digital inclusion programme aimed at getting more of their 130,000 residents online.   

The programme follows on from L&Q’s successful Digital 300 and Digital 400 initiatives which provides residents with bespoke computer tuition, equipment and internet access and further reflects their commitment as a signatory of the UK Digital Inclusion Charter.

The Connected Housing Initiative (CHI) has launched a brand new web resource to help housing associations find the right kit and connectivity solutions for their residents.

 Technology giant Fujitsu has teamed up with a local learning centre to help residents in Bracknell get online as part of this year’s Spring Online campaign. 

Spring Online is Digital Unite’s award-winning digital inclusion campaign. For one week each year (20 – 26 April 2015), hundreds of free Spring Online events are held across the UK in a variety of locations to help people to take their first steps online.

The London Borough of Hackney has become the newest member of Digital Unite’s Digital Champions Network (DCN4H) as they aim to help more of their residents to get online.

L&H Homes has become the newest member of Digital Unite’s Digital Champions Network for Housing (DCN4H).

L&H Homes has over 6500 rented properties across East Midlands, and the East of England. Becoming part of the DCN4H is a reflection of their commitment to help more of their residents to be online. 

Digital Champions in the Digital Champions Network for Housing can now receive a range of mobile kit and connectivity for helping local residents online.

The Digital Champions Network for Housing (DCN4H) is Digital Unite’s training and support solution for developing effective Digital Champions in local communities. It currently has 20 member organisations including 18 housing providers and over 600 Digital Champions.

A new level of support for housing providers is being piloted over the next few months as part of the Digital Champions Network for Housing (DCN4H) which includes a dedicated helpline to link learners with their local Digital Champions. 

Martine Ekango, 35, has been a Digital Champion for The Hyde Group for the past four months. She came across Hyde’s Digital Champion programme when she was using the computer facilities at Hyde’s local community centre in Brent to support her job searching. Now she helps 16 learners at the same centre every Tuesday with a range of tasks from handling a mouse and keyboard to sending emails and using Skype.

“Congratulations on a well-designed new site - I look forward to using it” Robert, Digital Champion for Hyde

The Digital Champions Network for Housing (DCN4H) has just been relaunched and now boasts updated training courses, improved functionality and the ability to use it via any mobile device, among many other things.

It has been 12 months since our Digital Champions Network for Housing (DCN4H) was launched and with 18 members and over 500 Digital Champions it continues to go from strength to strength.

In the Spring Online Best Event Awards 2014 announced at an official ceremony in June, Wigan and Leigh Housing were named Joint Runners Up following their fourth successive year of being involved in the campaign.

Around 600 Digital Champions are now being supported and trained by Digital Unite to help residents to get and stay online.

With research showing that those with low levels of digital literacy prefer to learn new online skills informally by watching and asking others, developing armies of local Digital Champions can provide an effective solution to getting more people online.

Digital Unite has recently been successfully helping Hyde Housing to support a number of their residents to get and stay online.

Between November 2013 and July 2014 18 residents in the Kent area were provided with up to four regular one-to-one training sessions in their own home with a Digital Unite tutor, each of the sessions being specifically tailored to the learners’ individual needs and interests.

On Thursday 3 July 2014, Digital Unite and its website (digitalunite.com) were Highly Commended at the Nominet Internet Awards 2014 in the category Online Skills and Training.

Digital Unite has been enlisted by the Octavia Foundation community charity in London to recruit, manage and train ten Digital Champions to help residents get and stay online.

Citizens Online Nairn was named this year’s overall winner of the Spring Online Best Event Awards 2014. Nairn Get IT Together project co-ordinator Brigitte Vallance accepted the top award from broadcaster and presenter, Angela Rippon, during an awards ceremony at the City Hall in London in June.

We are delighted that Digital Unite and its website (digitalunite.com) have been shortlisted for the Nominet Internet Awards 2014 in the category Online Skills and Training.

On Thursday 12 June 2014, broadcaster and presenter Angela Rippon presented awards to nine local organisations that helped older people and others to get online as part of Spring Online 2014.

Wales has become the latest member of Digital Unite’s Digital Champions Network as part of a new national project to improve the digital skills of Welsh public service workers.