News and information

Press release
8 October 2008 

New research links digital inclusion and social impact

Learning about computers and the internet can help improve the lives of disadvantaged groups, according to a new research report from UK online centres and Ipsos MORI.  The news is likely to be of interest to the government, following Gordon Brown’s announcement at the Labour party Conference of plans to fund one million extra families to get online.

The probable link between digital and social inclusion has long been recognised – connecting people to technology connects them to new information and skills, to their communities, to each other, to services, savings and employment opportunities.  However, the Digital inclusion, social impact report represents the first effort to prove the link both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Based on 20 UK online centre-led projects involving hundreds of local partners, the research tracked the impact of informal learning about technology on the lives of different groups, including those with mental health issues, families in poverty, isolated older people and teenage parents.

More than 12,000 people took part in the social impact demonstrator projects between January 2007 and March 2008.  By the end of the project, participants were more likely to feel confident, and 40% had progressed into further training, employment, information, advice and guidance.  Working with the computers helped to improve people’s maths and English, and they were more likely to spend time with friends and family, and more likely to connect with and help out in their communities.

The projects and corresponding research were funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.  Minister for Skills David Lammy commented:  “The aim of these projects was to help the most socially excluded in our communities and they’ve done exactly what they said on the tin – they’ve demonstrated the social impact of digital skills. Understanding how digital inclusion can help curtail social exclusion is incredibly important if we’re to maximise the potential of technology to improve individual lives, and seeing this work come to fruition is incredibly satisfying.  My congratulations go to all the people and partners who worked so hard to make these projects successful, and to the people they’ve helped make very real changes to their lives as a result.”

The research report was launched at the end of last month at a special reception hosted by education enthusiast Lord Dearing.  Stakeholders from across the public, private and third sector met to discuss the findings, and consider how technology can be exploited in the future to increase personal and social confidence and reduce social exclusion.  An international view was provided by Microsoft’s Worldwide Community Affairs lead Akhtar Badshah, alongside personal testimonials from people who benefitted from the projects.

Also speaking at the event was Helen Milner, Managing Director of UK online centres.  She added:  “Measuring social impact isn’t easy, but it’s vital if we are to take forward the government’s vision for digital equality and informal learning.  We need to establish a value for more general ‘soft’ skills, and provide new ways of proving they can build into something employers, communities, and the country as a whole can benefit from.  This research is still only a first step.  What we need now is a substantial longitudinal study which can examine whether the gains in cognitive and social skills reported here can lead over time to even more significant improvements in social cohesion, civic participation, and life chances – from educational attainments to levels of income and even health.”

Simon Brown, 25, is one of the participants at The Lighthouse Project in Sandwell, and he spoke to the audience about his experiences.  He said:  “I was in a right state – some days I was waking up in the afternoon and I’d get straight on the booze.  At my lowest, I got into the habit of cutting myself too – I’m not proud of that. I was in a hole, and I needed shaking out of it.  The web is a wonderful resource that absolutely everyone should know how to use.  You’ve got access to a whole new world of information and once you learn how to access it things can start to change very quickly. For me, the Lighthouse Centre has been such a confidence-builder and a real life-changer – it’s helped me connect with people again.  It’s one of the few places that I feel truly equal, and that it’s OK to be myself.”

Thousands more people are expected to follow in the footsteps of Simon and the other project participants by getting to grips with computers and the internet later this month on national Get online day.  Taking place on 24 October, the day is set to be a moment in the spotlight for digital inclusion.

Ends

For more information about the Social impact research or about Get online day, please contact Abigail Stevens at 0790 987 5890 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Notes to editors