Hello, and welcome back to our monthly newsletter! 

Have you spotted any changes to our website lately?

As digital technologies become increasingly integrated into society, it's crucial to ensure that they work for all of our diverse communities. We believe in championing ethical and inclusive approaches to digital that centre human need.

To put these principles into practice, we've been working with Nexer Digital to ensure our Strategy website is fully accessible to anyone curious to learn more about our work. In January, Nexer's inclusive design experts conducted a comprehensive audit of the Digital Strategy site to identify the challenges our website could present for disabled and neurodivergent users. 

While we're excited to share more in-depth learnings from the project soon, you might have already noticed some new additions to our site! For early insights into our next steps, our accessibility statement sets our what we've done so far to make our website more inclusive, and what we're committed to improving over the next six months.

Our Strategy impacts everyone in Manchester. Through adapting our website to better consider the needs of all users, we want to ensure we're embodying the values we espouse.

In this month's newsletter, we're also celebrating the launch of the government's Digital Inclusion Action Plan; sharing our 2025 Let's Get Digital's repo; and inviting you to join us at Connected North 2025, one of the UK's biggest regional connectivity events.

Happy reading, and see you next month!

As digital inclusion finally becomes part of the national agenda, we're beyond proud to see Manchester City Council's Let's Get Digital programme recognised as an example of best practice!

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's Digital Inclusion Action Plan, launched this month, marks a decisive step towards bridging the digital divide in the UK.

With the release of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, we’re thrilled to see recognition of the vital role of community-led digital inclusion initiatives, and practical steps towards large-scale, collaborative action that will enable so many people across the UK to access technology that could improve their quality of life.

To learn more about the government's first steps to break down barriers to digital inclusion, click on the link below to read the full report.  

You can also share your views on the action plan as part of the government's call for evidence to inform best practice approaches to closing the digital divide. Have your say and help to shape the future of digital inclusion!

What sets Manchester’s approach to digital technologies apart?

With our 2025 Delivery Plan due to launch this month, Digital Strategy Officer Becky McMillan was thrilled to be invited to talk about the projects we've been most proud to deliver this year - and the values underpinning our work - in the latest issue of Government Technology Magazine. 

Exploring tech innovation, IT and digital solutions in the public sector, the newly launched magazine aims to highlight stories that showcase the potential of technology to improve public services and deliver a better quality of life for people across the UK.

In this month's issue, we're proud to share good practice examples of digital innovation that empower our diverse communities, offer new opportunities for residents and attract investment for sustainable growth.

If you’re curious to learn more about our ambitions to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for Manchester – and the initiatives driving the delivery of the Strategy – make sure to check out the full article on page 19! 

We're speaking at Connected North! 

As one of the UK's biggest regional digital infrastructure events, Connected North brings together connectivity providers, regulators, local authorities, and tech companies to explore how  innovations in technology and connectivity could enable new opportunities for social and economic growth. 

Offering opportunities for speaking, networking, showcases, and use-case presentations, we were thrilled to be invited to be a part of this year's agenda and join the conversation around driving equitable, high-quality and sustainable connectivity in the North of the UK. 

If you're curious to learn more about our approach to digital, and the ways we're working with partners to champion approaches to connectivity that enable equal opportunity across Manchester, join us at the event on the 23rd and 24th April!

Here's where you'll find our team:

+ Digital Strategy Lead, Sherelle Fairweather, will be speaking on the AI Impact panel, exploring the use and impact of AI in the North and how we can advocate for ethical, responsible, and sustainable approaches to its adoption.

+ Senior Digital Strategy Officer Megan Lawless will be joining the Mobile Network Deployment in the North & Midlands panel to discuss the benefits of public-private collaboration, and learnings from our own mobile connectivity mapping project.

+ Digital Inclusion Co-Ordinator Chris Northen will be presenting a talk on Closing the Loop and Bridging the Digital Divide Through Partnership Working in partnership with Adrian Nottingham from Community Computers. 

We're looking forward to sharing more details soon, including the talks from colleagues we're most looking forward to attending! To discover all the sessions on offer, head over to the Connected North website to explore the agenda in full.