Community Driven Digital Inclusion

Sheena Watson , Charlie Anderson Fife Council John Hay Digital Feat

Digital Participation Cross Party Working Group Scottish Parliament

Fife

• Pop’n around 360 000

• Rural and Urban – good coverage around the bridge head but significant Not Spots in rural areas patchy G3 coverage

• Poverty issues -One in six of Fife population characterised as being income poor reflecting not just issues around worklessness but also in-work / low wage poverty

• Young people taking up a disproportionate share of the unemployed with 30% of all JSA claimants under 25 years of age

• The amounts of debt, rent arrears, council tax arrears, and fuel debt more than doubled within the previous two years - approximately 5% of the Fife residents experiencing some or deep financial troubles

• Almost a fifth of Fife households suffering from fuel poverty

Ofcom Fixed Broadband Figures Fife

• Percentage getting less than 2Mbit/s: 14%

• Superfast broadband availability: 48%

• Broadband take up: 65%

• Slightly above national average

Community Driven Digital Inclusion www.digitalfife.com Online Community

• Bid to Big Lottery built on existing work around ICT skills with community groups

• Creating a reason to learn about the internet and ICT

• Building on Digital Champion Model

What is Digital Fife ?

• Main content of Digital Fife has been developed by community groups themselves in the form of websites.

• Over 240 community groups are currently part of the online community.

• Digital Champions are recruited from these groups. These Champions who cascade their learning to others is a key strength of the work.

• Through the community groups and directly Digital Fife also delivers online learning in topics relevant to community groups. Over 1250 learners have so far registered for online courses.

Technology

• Webspringer is a reliable and easy to use system which was developed in partnership with groups and the IT Developers HOP Associates.

• Considerable testing was done by the groups to ensure we ended up with a product which met their needs.

• The developers were very hands-on with the groups and have developed a lasting working relationship with them which is a key strength to the work.

• Net books and dongles allow cheap and mobile access to internet

Online Learning

Online Learning

• Most popular modules – Consultation and Digital Photography

• Promoted and used in Learning Centres and Libraries as well as by Digital Fife Community

• Over 1250 learners registered so far for online courses

Digital Inclusion Strategy – Why ?• Good range of strong and innovative pieces of work in

the area of digital inclusion

• Wanted to add value to these individual pieces of work by bringing them under the digital inclusion banner .

• We also wanted to map the existing work and identify where we could be improving our outreach, approaches and service.

• Need to consult with other services and third sector and not simply develop a strategy within Community Learning and Development –

Digital Strategy Group

• Digital Inclusion Strategy approved at Housing and Communities Committee August 2010

• Action plan in place

• Net books in schools – pilot work Aberhill• Sheltered Housing work with WEA• Digital Panels

• Strategy Group established and meeting 4-6 times a year

• Digital Champions within services / voluntary sector

• Martha Lane Fox launching Fife Learning Network and Fife Libraries joint Race Online Pledge

• Visited Templehall Library / Learning Centre / Community Centre

• Digital Fife Digital Champions

Digital Inclusion Fife

Strengths

• Community led work in digital inclusion – Digital Fife

• Active Partnership groups –

• Fife Learning Network• Digital Inclusion

Strategy Group

Challenges

• Achieving super fast broadband across Fife

• Reaching those without a reason to get online