February's digital inclusion news from 100% Digital Leeds

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February 2023


Highlights from 100% Digital Leeds


Here are some of the things that the 100% Digital Leeds team have been working on over the past month.

You can find out more about our work on the 100% Digital Leeds website.

Help us build a picture of the scale of digital inclusion activity across the city

We want to build a picture of the scale of digital inclusion activity across the city. Please complete this form if your organisation has offered digital skills support, device lending, SIM card gifting, or any other digital inclusion activities over the past 12 months. The questions are short, and the form will only take a few minutes to complete. All figures will be added together and reported at a citywide level. We won't publish figures from individual organisations. 

Complete the form and share your digital inclusion activity data with us.

Our work supporting families with young children

We have been working with organisations supporting families with young children to embed digital inclusion in to their offers. Working with Children’s Centres and Leeds Community Healthcare's 0-19 Public Health Integrated Nursing Service has helped us to understand the impact of digital exclusion on families with young children and their ability to access services.

Read more about our work supporting families with young children.

List your digital inclusion offer on the Leeds Community Digital Support Directory

100% Digital Leeds is collecting information about digital access and support services available to Leeds residents to include in the Leeds Community Digital Support Directory, 100% Digital Leeds's signposting pool. Listings include organisations which offer public wifi, digital skills support, and device loaning. It also includes information on how to access their services, and who they support. 

Complete this form to have your organisation's digital inclusion offer listed. 

The Sensory Impairment Digital Inclusion Network needs you

We’re currently looking at creating a resource directory of organisations, apps, and other digital tools that are useful for people with sensory impairments, to promote more widely across the city. We feel that this is important because we want to ensure that those who might be providing services to people with sensory impairments are aware of what’s out there. Hopefully this will mean that more people are better able to help sensory impaired people do things in their lives, using digital tools, technology, and services. 

That includes expert organisations like Leeds Hearing and Sight Loss Service and Deafblind UK, plus digital tools such as Seeing AI and Envision, Be My Eyes, and LiveTranscribe. 

If you’re interested and want to be involved in helping us create this resource, we’re meeting at Gallery House on the Headrow in Leeds city centre on 13th April 2023, 2pm until 3pm. It is a short-term commitment and is unlikely to require another meeting after that. 

If you’d like to attend or you’d like more information, please contact both ian.mcardle@leeds.gov.uk and helen.brand@forumcentral.org.uk


Partner profile: Belle Isle Senior Action

Each month we shine a light on one of our delivery partners, showcasing their excellent work and sharing examples of how they have integrated digital inclusion into their services to best meet the needs of the community they support.

Belle Isle Senior Action (BISA) is a Neighbourhood Network organisation supporting older people living in the Belle Isle area. They have embedded digital inclusion support across their service, including their in-home service, by working with existing partners to secure funding to recruit a digital inclusion worker, run digital skills sessions, and develop a tablet lending scheme.

Read the Belle Isle Senior Action partner profile


The latest digital inclusion opportunities


Events and training

Details of this month's upcoming digital inclusion events and training opportunities. To be the first to find out about upcoming events from 100% Digital Leeds, follow us on Eventbrite.

How the right tech can make the NHS accessible to all

Tuesday 7 March at 1pm, via Zoom. Book via Zoom.

A free webinar from AbilityNet, NHS Wales, and SignHealth, discussing how boosting digital skills can help both NHS patients and staff alike. Discover how tech can help disabled people communicate with NHS staff and systems and learn how AbilityNet has been working with NHS organisations to boost technical skills.

New Learning Portal from Leeds Health and Care Academy

The Leeds Health and Care Learning Portal is an online platform offering free learning content, training, and development resources to anybody working or volunteering in a health and care role in Leeds, including in the third sector.

On the portal you’ll find a range of learning and development opportunities on different topics, including digital skills support such as: ‘Facilitating Hybrid Meetings’ and ‘Leading Hybrid Teams’ virtual sessions and pre-learning, and Microsoft Office learning packages. More content is being added all the time. 

Visit the portal to sign up for your free account: Leeds Health and Care Learning Portal. If you have any problems accessing the portal, please contact the Leeds Health and Care Academy via LHCA@nhs.net.

Parliamentary discussion on digital exclusion

Parliament held an opening session for the new digital exclusion inquiry in February, which outlined the cost of living context. Evidence was given by a number of experts, including Good Things Foundation and Digital Poverty Alliance. Recording available online.

Government inquiry on digital exclusion in cost of living crisis

The Lords Communications and Digital Committee wants to hear your views on digital exclusion. Submissions are open to all until Tuesday 7 March, and questions cover everything from causes of digital exclusion to the effects of rising costs of living. 100% Digital Leeds will be submitting evidence. 

A minimum digital living standard for households with children

Wednesday 15 March, 10 - 11am, via Zoom. Book via Eventbrite.

Find out about our work to develop the Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) for households, starting with households with children. MDLS team members will share the latest findings on what members of the public (taking part in deliberative groups) felt should be in the 'basket' of digital goods, services, and skills for households with children in the UK.

International Women's Day - Gender and digital Inequalities

Wednesday 8 March, 10am - 1pm, via Zoom. Book via Eventbrite.

This free IWD event is a morning of short online presentations by women working in the field of gender and digital inequalities, offering an opportunity to share knowledge, create and strengthen networks and raise awareness of gendered experiences of digital inequalities. 

NewsGuard webinar on misinformation and older Populations

Tuesday 4 April, 10 - 11am, via Zoom. Book via Eventbrite.

Join the Leeds Older People's Forum and the Be Online and Stay Safe (BOSS) programme for an interactive online webinar about misinformation and how it affects older people, presented by NewsGuard.


Funding opportunities 

100% Digital Leeds are keen to support the development of any funding bids with a digital inclusion element, or to help you embed digital inclusion throughout your project. If you would like support contact us.

Friends of the Elderly grants for older people

Small grants are available to support older people living on low incomes in England and Wales with the costs of home essentials, unexpected large bills, living costs and getting connected online. Grants are designed to support an individual but applications must be made by a referral partner.

Digital Connection grants are to help older people get online and stay connected and can be used towards the cost of equipment such as tablets and smartphones as well as broadband and data costs.

Amount: up to £500.

Deadline: rolling.

To apply: Grants For Older People

Community Matters Online Funding Fair

A three-day online funding fair where organisations can speak to different local and national funders about their open grants and how to apply.

Funding Fair day one - Monday 13 March

Yorkshire funders including The Peter Greenwood Memorial Trust offers cash grants to deaf and hearing-impaired students, The Sir George Martin Trust that makes grants to registered charities based in West or North Yorkshire and working on the frontline to improve the lives of local people, and Wharfedale Foundation that offers grants of up to £5000 for organisations working to build stronger communities across Yorkshire.

Funding Fair day two - Tuesday 14 March

National funders including Grantscape, Lloyds Bank Foundation, Garfield Weston, Bernard Sunley, Henry Smith, Groundwork, National Lottery Community Fund.

Funding Fair day three - Wednesday 15 March  

National funders including Key Fund, Good Things Foundation, Easyfundraising, Clothworkers Foundation, Arts Council, Heritage Lottery Fund.

Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund

The aim of the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund is to support the modernisation and improvement of village halls, so that they are fit for purpose and can provide activities which seek to achieve one or more of the following outcomes for their communities, including improved health and wellbeing, and reduction in rural loneliness

Grants are for capital improvements that will upgrade, extend or improve facilities. This could include installing wifi and purchase of digital equipment for use in the building.

Amount: £7,500 - £75,000 (which will be 20% of eligible project costs).

Deadline: Friday 3 March (stage one of a two-step application process).

To apply: Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund - ACRE

 


Signposting

We collect digital skills opportunities available for you and the individuals you’re looking to support - perfect for signposting. To have your service included in our support pages so others can make use of or refer in to it contact us.

Breakfast and Browsers Digital Help Group at Burmantofts Senior Action 

Digital skills support for older people in Burmantofts, every Monday, 10:30am - 12:30pm at Burmantofts Senor Action (BSA).

Getting Active and Online from Your Back Yard

Your Back Yard's Getting Active and Online programme aims to help get people online by providing the tech and support, tackle inactivity by providing free, online, gentle exercise classes via Zoom and YouTube, and combat isolation by providing opportunities for people to make new friends across generations. Visit the Your Back Yard website for more information and to sign up.

Digital inclusion at Leeds Libraries

Digital Drop-ins are ideal for support with basic digital queries. Sessions are free to attend, no booking necessary, and run from 17 different locations across the city.

First Steps with Digital is a three week course for beginners who are just getting started. Courses take place in Seacroft, Wethery, Oakwood Library, Holt Park, and Yeadon. Book a free place by calling 0113 378 5005.

Next Steps with Digital is a course starting in March, for people with basic skills who want to learn more. Courses take place in Garforth, Headingley, and Harehills. To book a free place call 0113 378 5005.

For people struggling with the cost of getting online, the service has sim cards with data and unlimited calls and texts available to gift (subject to availability). Drop-in at Leeds Central Library on Wednesday afternoons, 2 - 3.30pm.

Tech Talk by Live Well Leeds

Free course teaching people how they can use technology to stay physically and mentally well, and manage money whilst, staying safe online, by Live Well Leeds.

2 - 3:30pm on Thursdays, weekly for 12 weeks, starting Thursday 16 March at Stocks Hill Hub, LS12 2DJ.

For more information, or to join, contact info@LiveWellLeeds.org.uk or 0113 219 2727

Leeds Tech Careers Launchpad by Infinity Works

The first in a series of events will be to giving insight and advice on moving into tech roles. This in-person panel event focussing on the different journeys into tech is open to everyone and will be of particular interest to those considering a move into the tech industry. Attendees will hear from people who have entered the world of tech from a range of backgrounds. Speakers will be from Infinity Works Academy, Northcoders, and Leeds City Council.

Wednesday 29 March, 12 - 2pm at Infinity Works. More information and to book.


Tools and Resources

Digital inclusion tools and resources to support you to embed digital inclusion within your organisation. If you would like to recommend a resource be added to our support pages so others can make use of or refer in to it contact us.

Digital Poverty Alliance support directory

Digital Poverty Alliance have launched a new directory of digital inclusion support across the UK, designed to allow quick access to the latest support via filtering and search. It's currently in beta phase.


Contact 100% Digital Leeds

The 100% Digital Leeds team is keen to hear from any organisations delivering in Leeds to people who are more likely to be digitally excluded. We will work with you to help you better understand the digital inclusion needs of your communities and embed digital inclusion awareness, support, and signposting, throughout your service to make it as inclusive as possible. To find out more contact us