New project to provide early access to Home Access for low-income families

Press release
28 November 2008

New project to provide early access to Home Access for low-income families

From L to R: One of the first project participants, Shemia Ruddock, with Schools Minister Jim Knight, E-learning Chief Executive Valerie Thompson, Paul Richmond from Virgin Media, and UK online centres Managing Director Helen Milner. Hundreds of families are getting early access to Home Access, thanks to a new project from Virgin Media in partnership with the e-Learning Foundation and UK online centres.

In a model that’s up and running ahead of the Government’s Home Access scheme, the project will see free fibre optic broadband go into the homes of 500 low-income families from schools and colleges across five cities. This will be backed with free training sessions for parents at local UK online centres, covering general computer and internet skills, safety and security.

While the Home Access scheme - announced by Gordon Brown in September - is piloted in Oldham and Suffolk, this project will take place in Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham and Newcastle. Information will be gathered on the delivery model, take-up and longer term effects on each child and family, all of which will be shared with the Home Access team at Becta to inform plans for the national roll-out.

The first participants have already received their equipment and connections, and Schools Minister Jim Knight was in Birmingham this week to meet one family already feeling the benefits, and to officially launch the new scheme. He said: “Bridging the digital divide is the one of the great challenges for the next few years - that’s why the Government has invested £300m to give every child access to a computer and internet at home by 2011. The bottom line is that having home access is no longer an optional extra – it is fast becoming essential. I welcome excellent initiatives like this – it shows what is possible when industry pulls together with the voluntary sector and schools to make low-cost home access a reality.”

Neil Berkett, CEO at Virgin Media added: “This project provides hundreds of children with the chance to get online at home for free, and it forms part of Virgin Media’s Power to all People initiative. We believe broadband services should be available to everyone, whatever their circumstances. The success of this project lies in providing the necessary training so children and parents can take full advantage of everything the web has to offer.”

Managing Director of UK online centres, Helen Milner, explained: “At UK online centres, we believe the real key to achieving digital equality for children is to support the whole family to get to grips with technology, and embed it into everyday family life. The internet can be an important resource for everyone - from homework, schoolwork and social networking for the kids, to supervision skills, online banking, shopping, research and job-search opportunities for parents. There’s considerable evidence that two significant factors in a child’s educational success are home access to ICT and parental interest and support. This project aims to tackle both of those factors at once, and will complement and inform the wider development of Home Access over the coming months.”

Valerie Thompson, Chief Executive of e-Learning Foundation, added: “We are delighted to be part of this partnership. Access to learning technologies at home has certainly been proven to influence educational outcomes, yet low income families are five times less likely to own a home computer than high income families. Technology shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be available to everyone and this scheme will go a long way to bridging the gap.”

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For more information please contact Abi Stevens at UK online centres on 0778 666 0689, astevens@ufi.com .

Picture caption: From L to R: One of the first project participants, Shemia Ruddock, with Schools Minister Jim Knight, E-learning Chief Executive Valerie Thompson, Paul Richmond from Virgin Media, and UK online centres Managing Director Helen Milner.

Notes to editors

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will both be playing their part at next week's National Digital Inclusion Conference, providing video messages to get delegates thinking and talking.

Gordon Brown's message will be followed-up in person by Digital Britain Minister Stephen Timms MP, who will be opening the Conference on Wednesday 10 March with Champion for Digital Inclusion Martha Lane Fox. He'll be talking about the new National Plan for Digital Participation, which was launched earlier this week, while Martha Lane Fox will be talking about her plans to collect 'digital promises' from more than 10,000 private, public and charitable sector organisations. Meanwhile, Shadow Minister Jeremy Hunt will be there on the 11^th to present a Tory vision for a digitally inclusive Britain.

Now in its fifth year, the NDI10 Conference will take place across two days - Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 March, at the Vinopolis Conference Centre in London. It aims to get cross-sector and cross-party digital inclusion partners together to discuss digital inclusion issues, and plan actions for 2010 and beyond.

Conference founder Robin Knowles explains: "NDI10 is all about getting the people who make digital inclusion happen in one room, working together to make even more happen, in more places, reaching more people. It's great to get party leaders Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg involved in the discussions, and we'll be continuing the cross-party theme with our live Question Time, let by Conference chair Matthew Taylor."

The Question Time will also take place on the 10^th. Matthew Taylor will be asking Derek Wyatt MP (Labour), Baroness Warsi (Conservative) and Lembit Opik (Lib Dem) about their personal opinions and party-lines on digital inclusion, getting input from Ofcom's Stuart Purvis and Age UK's Tom Wright as part of the panel.

Also speaking at the Conference reviewing 12 months of digi-inc action is Helen Milner, Managing Director for UK online centres. She adds: "I'm really excited about next week, and looking forward to what's set to be a really interesting couple of days. It's wonderful to see support for digital inclusion coming from the top, and just before a general election is testament to the fact this is now central to the wider agendas of economic growth, social justice and the improvement of government services. Digital inclusion is suddenly super-relevant, and the Conference is our chance to hear how each party plans to respond to the challenge of digital exclusion, and to have our say on how priorities and plans should be shaped for the future."

Delegates will get to have their say from the floor in Q&As during the main plenary sessions, and will be working in four workstream groups to come up with their own digital inclusion promises. The Digital government for all workstream is being led by Directgov, and will feature input from New Media Age, Microsoft and DC10 Plus. Digital Skills for all is led by UK online centres with contributions from BT, Ofcom, Becta, NIACE, School of Everything and many more, while Health and Well Being is chaired by NHS Choices, with partners AbilityNet, StartHere and Capita. The final workstream is led by the Peabody Trust, and is all about Social Housing Plus, taking inspiration from Nottingham City Council, Solihull Community Housing and Citizens Online amongst others. The promises from each workstream will be given to Martha Lane Fox to feed into Race Online's wider work.

Alongside the keynote speakers and workstream sessions, NDI10 will also have an interactive exhibition, with an open soap box as another opportunity for delegates to feeback thoughts or talk about their own projects.

For more information on the Conference, or to follow on the live webstream next week, please visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk and follow Twitter hashtag #NDI10. You can also join the debate early on the Conference Ning - http://net.digitalengagement.org/

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For more information, or for a free press pass, please contact Abi Stevens at astevens@ufi.com, or on 0778 666 0689.

Notes to editors:

Press release published 4 March 2010
- For more information on the Conference, or to follow on the live webstream next week, please visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk, follow Twitter hashtag #NDI10 and join the digital engagement Ning http://net.digitalengagement.org/.
- The National Digital Inclusion Conference (NDI10) is now in its fifth year, and run by Civic Agenda, with key partners UK online centres, and supporters including Becta, BIS, BT, Business Link, Citizens Online, CLG, CTT, Digital 2020, Intel, Microsoft, NHS Choices, Nominet Trust, Ofcom, Peabody Trust, Race Online 2012, Regenerate IT, StartHere and Youthnet.
- Civic Agenda is a specialist conference development and organisation agency delivering public and social focussed conferences across the UK. Civic Agenda works with a range of partner organisations and draws on the expertise of sister organisations Civic Regeneration, Regenerate IT and Market Squared to support conferences that explore key areas of social, economic and community policy for an audience of the public, private and voluntary sector. For more information please visit www.civicagenda.co.uk or call 0207 378 0422.
- UK online centres provide millions of people with access to technology and support in using it. They offer free or low cost access to the internet and email, deliver online courses and encourage people to progress onto further learning. For more information please visit www.ukonlinecentres.com. UK online centres are managed by Ufi, the organisation also behind learndirect.
Tickets for the fifth National Digital Inclusion Conference - NDI10 - are nearly sold out, and those interested in taking part are being urged to get in quick, or follow the Conference from the comfort of their own computer via the live webstream and twitter hashtag #NDI10.

The Conference takes place at Vinopolis in London Bridge on 10 and 11 March, and this year's theme is all about Passing IT on. With the RSA's Matthew Taylor back as Chair, speakers including Martha Lane Fox, Stephen Timms MP and Matt Brittin from Google, plus a cross-party Question Time and interactive exhibition space, NDI10 is shaping-up and filling-up fast.

Conference founder Robin Knowles of Civic Agenda says: "We're delighted to have had such a great response to the Conference, and we're keen to capture the input of delegates beyond the 500 physical places. Keynote speeches will be live on www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk, and we're encouraging delegates to tweet their thoughts, and share wider opinions on the http://net.digitalengagement.org/ Ning site - before, after and during the Conference itself."

Helen Milner of Conference partner UK online centres adds: "Post Digital Britain and pre-election, this is the perfect time for an in-depth 'NDIagnostic' looking at where digital inclusion is today, where we need to be, and what we've got to do as a sector to get there over the coming months and years. The more voices adding to the debate - in person or online - the more connections and progress we can make at the conference."

As well as hearing from keynote speakers in the public and third sector, corporate organisations will also be playing their part, and telling delegates how they plan to help Pass IT on in 2010, and how they'd like to work with third sector and government partners.

To see if you can get one of the final NDI10 places available, or to find out more about the four workstreams - Digital Skills for all, Digital government for all, Health and Well-being, and Social housing plus, please visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk, or call 0207 378 0422.

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For more information on this press release please contact Abi Stevens at astevens@ufi.com or on 0778 666 0689

Press release, published 23 February 2010

Notes to editors:
- Twitter hashtag: #NDI10
- Ning http://net.digitalengagement.org/
- The 2010 National Digital Inclusion Conference is being shaped by Civic with a steering group including UK online centres, DC10Plus, Citizens Online, StartHere, Intel, YouthNet, NHS Choices, The Peabody Trust, Nominet and representatives from the Departments for Business, Innovation and Skills and Communities and Local Government.
- Civic Agenda is a specialist conference development and organisation agency delivering public and social focussed conferences across the UK. Civic Agenda works with a range of partner organisations and draws on the expertise of sister organisations Civic Regeneration, Regenerate IT and Market Squared to support conferences that explore key areas of social, economic and community policy for an audience of the public, private and voluntary sector. For more information please visit www.civicagenda.co.uk or call 0207 378 0422.
- UK online centres provide millions of people with access to technology and support in using it. They offer free or low cost access to the internet and email, deliver online courses and encourage people to progress onto further learning. For more information please visit www.ukonlinecentres.com. UK online centres are managed by Ufi, the organisation also behind learndirect.
Martha Lane Fox to open NDI10 Conference

The fifth National Digital Inclusion Conference - NDI10 - will be opened by the Champion for Digital Inclusion Martha Lane Fox, alongside Minister for Digital Britain Stephen Timms MP.

The Conference takes place at Vinopolis in London Bridge on 10 and 11 March, and this year's theme is all about Passing IT on. As well as hearing from keynote speakers, cross-sector delegates will be discussing where digital inclusion is now, and where it needs to be by the end of 2012. Working in four workstreams, they'll be planning activity and making practical pledges to literally pass IT on and make digital inclusion happen over the coming months and years.

Speaking about the conference, Martha Lane Fox said: "The National Digital Inclusion Conference is a fantastic opportunity for organisations to work together, share insights and voice opinions around the moral, economic and serious issue of Digital Inclusion. It is only with a focus on peer-to-peer training, creative partnerships with private companies and replication of the best public sector projects we can achieve a more digitally included society by 2012".

Other plenary sessions at the Conference will include a cross-party debate led by NDI10's returning Chair Matthew Taylor, and a keynote speech from Stephen Timms MP, looking at the future of Digital Britain.

Conference founder Robin Knowles of Civic Agenda added: "The idea of NDI10 is to get a clearer picture of today's digital divide - and the multiple threads of response lacing it together. From there we'll be challenging both speakers and delegates to pledge their support and specific actions to drive digital inclusion forwards. In 2009 the Conference was all about changing policy - NDI10 is about real participation, partnership and practical delivery."

The four workstreams for NDI10 are Digital government for all, Health and well-being, Housing plus, and Digital skills for all. The last workstream is being led by UK online centres, with planned input from Becta, Ofcom and School of Everything to name but a few. Managing Director Helen Milner said: "We're looking to get people talking and thinking as a sector rather than as individual organisations. What is it we need to do to make digital skills available to all? What are we good at, and what do we need to be doing more of? Across all four workstreams, this is a chance for the community to really focus on digital inclusion as an end goal, and the steps we need to take to get there."

NDI10 will be covered by a team of social reporters and journalists, and attended by more than 60 exhibitors in a space divided up by each workstream theme. The exhibition is all about technology for social change, and delegates without a stand are invited to do their own show-and-tell about products, services and ideas on the expo's open stage.

To book your place - with discounted rates still available for third sector delegates - please visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk or call 0207 378 0422. The Conference website also includes more detail about each of the workstreams, and a Ning site will soon be available for delegates to begin networking early.

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For more information on this press release please contact Abi Stevens at astevens@ufi.com or on 0778 666 0689

Notes to editors
- Published 4 February 2010
- Twitter hashtag: #NDI10
- Civic Agenda is a specialist conference development and organisation agency delivering public and social focussed conferences across the UK. Civic Agenda works with a range of partner organisations and draws on the expertise of sister organisations Civic Regeneration, Regenerate IT and Market Squared to support conferences that explore key areas of social, economic and community policy for an audience of the public, private and voluntary sector. For more information please visit www.civicagenda.co.uk or call 0207 378 0422.
- UK online centres provide millions of people with access to technology and support in using it. They offer free or low cost access to the internet and email, deliver online courses and encourage people to progress onto further learning. For more information please visit www.ukonlinecentres.com. UK online centres are managed by Ufi, the organisation also behind learndirect.

UK Online Centres

New project to provide early access to Home Access for low-income families

New project to provide early access to Home Access for low-income families

Martha Lane Fox to open NDI10 Conference