Celebrating our Network: Digital Inclusion Network Online Showcase
Our Communications and External Affairs Intern, Aisha Khan, writes about the Digital Inclusion Network Online Showcase event to celebrate our ambassadors and Network.
We recently held an Online Showcase, where Strategic Partners and members of our Network came along to discuss what they needed and how we at Good Things Foundation could offer our support and services to ensure the best way forward to help the local communities. The event was well attended, with 73 Network members, 2 Older People Panellists, and representatives from Vodafone and Virgin Media O2.
We celebrated the work of our Network by announcing the November Centre of the Month, which was won by The CRUMBS Project. We also awarded the Databank Star, which was LeytonStone Library, and Learn My Way Champion, which was North Manchester Community Partnership. The work our Network does for their local communities is vital and a huge step towards fixing the digital divide.
The event outlined the new strategy of Good Things Foundation, which was explained by our Group CEO, Helen Milner OBE. The strategy highlights our bold ambitions from now to the end of 2025. Our goal as an organisation is to help centres support 1 million people cross the digital divide, and have 5000 active engaged digital inclusion hubs supporting people who are digitally excluded.
This was different from before, Helen explained:
“I feel different .. Obviously it’s about bringing the access alongside the skills and motivation and all of the support of the network. But also it’s really about us having a fundamental core strategy. And bringing along our strategic partners to help deliver that.”
With the help of strategic partners like Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone, that strategy can be delivered together, ensuring our business model aligns with the fundamental mission to bridge the digital divide. Working with expert partners allows us all to align our visions and take a long-term approach to the issue of digital exclusion to guide and support the work we do together.
Our strategic partners are thoroughly committed to working with the Network. We all share the passion for the mission, across all the organisations.
A recent example of our work towards bridging the digital divide is our Christmas campaign with Virgin Media O2, which maps people directly to the databanks, offers a free O2 SIM card with free data, which can be gifted, and depicts the power of digital inclusion through ‘The Snowgran’ advert. We played the ad at the end of the Online Showcase for our Network, who loved it.
Without the help of our Network engaging the communities and working with us and our partners to fix the digital divide, the positive impact could not be as monumental. And we’re looking forward to working even more with our Network and Strategic Partners in 2023.
Aisha Khan
Communication and External Affairs Intern
Aisha supports the team by creating engaging content for projects, campaigns, and communication plans across media channels. She helps with developing the stories of the people and organisations we work with, communicating their voices.