Why digital champions are vital to digital inclusion delivery

Digital Champions - the cornerstone of digital inclusion

This week is Volunteers’ Week, an annual celebration held in the first week of June to recognise the contributions of volunteers across the UK. 

As part of that celebration we want to recognise the hard work of both our own volunteers, and Digital Champions across the country, and also spotlight some of the great things that Good Things Foundation and hubs in the National Digital Inclusion Network are doing to support Digital Champions. 

Digital Champions are the cornerstone of digital inclusion, who directly support individuals who don't have the skills or confidence to get online. Usually volunteers, they empower people to make the most out of the internet and their devices, whether through group training sessions or working one-on-one with learners. They support a diverse group of learners to get online and play an important role in motivating people to give digital a go.

Connecting people to the online world

Acting as a bridge to inclusion, Digital Champions connect digitally excluded individuals to the online world.

Lack of confidence and engagement is one of the main barriers to people getting online; to tackle this you require cross-cutting interventions. Digital champions are vital for people gaining that confidence and desire to get online.

Human interaction is very important for first-time internet users, and Digital Champions provide a dependable point of contact. They allow learners to go at their own pace and discover how useful and fun being online can be through personal references and tailored learning. They are often needed to help access essential services such as booking a GP appointment, applying for benefits or banking online. 

Supporting Digital Champions in the network

National Digital Inclusion Network hubs that offer digital skills support often rely on Digital Champions to successfully deliver their digital inclusion programmes.

To support the work of hubs and volunteers, we run free training on a quarterly basis for members of the network and their volunteers on becoming a Digital Champion. It is a two-part training course for volunteers or staff who will provide frontline support helping people to gain digital skills and confidence. It explores the role of a Digital Champion, the skills they need and the people they are likely to support. It also demonstrates the practicalities of being a Digital Champion and a broad and inclusive approach on teaching. Our next training is planned for July - we’ll be sharing dates soon. 

Learn My Way guides

Learn My Way, Good Things Foundation's free online learning platform, is a key tool for Digital Champions, offering over 100 beginner digital skills topics. For ease of use as a teaching tool, we have created Learn My Way guides specifically for Digital Champions. These guides were created in collaboration with Digital Unite - recognised experts in Digital Champion training. They provide tips and instructions for boosting engagement and creating inclusive digital learning experiences. Each guide includes signposting to additional resources to help expand support and the learning offer. 

More support for Digital Champions

Digital Unite offers a CPD (Continual Professional Development) certified course, Using Learn My Way to Help Others Develop Their Digital Skills, which you can complete if you are a paid member of Digital Unite’s Digital Champions Network. This course is an excellent opportunity for trainers and Digital Champions to deepen their expertise in supporting digital learning.

If you are based in Scotland, SCVO has developed the EDS Skills Checkup and Essential Skills for Digital Champions qualification. EDS level 3 and 4 qualifications are on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. In Wales, Essential Digital Literacy Skills are part of the suite of Essential Skills Wales. In Northern Ireland, funded essential digital skills training is available in a number of Further Education (FE) colleges. 

Digital Champions and digital inclusion hubs

Different hubs often have different ways of training their Digital Champions. For example, Starting Point, a community organisation based in Stockport, offers great free Digital Champion training and support for their local communities. Learn for Life, often starts with people with little or no digital skills and builds their confidence and ability until the learners themselves become Digital Champions. 

But something all these hubs have in common is valuing and utilising Digital Champions to build that trust in the community and help digitally-excluded people on their journey to being happier, healthier and better off through digital. Have a look at a Digital Champion session that Dorset Council has developed to support digitally excluded people to learn.

Here at Good Things Foundation, we value both our own volunteers who help us connect with hubs and contribute to fixing the digital divide and Digital Champion volunteers all over the country who support learners. We believe that they are the backbone of hubs’ digital inclusion work. Let’s celebrate our volunteers together during Volunteers’ Week.