Rural residents to benefit from lottery funding

Jonathan Eastwood, from The National Lottery Community Fund, said GRCC is "vital in supporting people in Gloucestershire to connect with others and reduce social isolation"

Rural residents in need are set to benefit from £289k in digital funding from the National Lottery over three years.

Access to the internet and technology can be an "immovable barrier" to those trying to get help and support in Gloucestershire.

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council's (GRCC) ACORN Project focuses on working with peer-to-peer groups and the voluntary and community sector across the county to improve digital knowledge and capacity so those in need can access help and support.

A single mum who was given a laptop by GRCC so she can study for qualifications in the evenings after work said "it was just like all my Christmasses came at once".

'A lifeline'

One Gloucestershire resident who has benefitted from GRCC is Jo, a single mum of two children, who lives in the Forest of Dean.

Jo, not her real name, needed a laptop so she could continue getting qualifications to improve her job prospects, but didn't want to detract from her daughter's GCSE studies.

A representative from the Digital Accessibility, Inclusion Support, and Innovation (DAISI) Project put Jo in touch with GRCC, who gave the retail employee a laptop.

She has described the organisation as "a lifeline".

"With basic minimum wage and today's cost of living crisis, I really, really struggle with inflation, food and two growing teenagers," Jo said.

"Being able to do free online courses to maybe become better at my job and hopefully be able to get more answers and work full-time, it means I'll, eventually, be able to come off Universal Credit.

"There are so many people out there who probably don't even realise that there's that sort of help available. It's just amazing."

The support will be given directly to individuals and groups who are unable to access existing one-to-one support in Gloucestershire's districts.

Organisations will be trained to support those in digital poverty, and people's experiences and local data to help shape and influence the future planning and delivery of digital and other support services, and the organisations that support them.

It is hoped knowledge and support networks developed through the project will continue to benefit the community in the longer term, as a result of supporting the groups and organisations to build sustainably.

Central to the project is the creation of 'Digital Voices’, where different communities across Gloucestershire can share their views and experiences of digital and technology issues.

'Vital'

The network will capture a range of digital experiences, in addition to effectively distributing data to help inform and change how services are delivered across the system.

It is also hoped the data will influence the strategic planning and digital policy development in the county.

Mr Eastwood said: "We’re delighted to support GRCC’s digital upskilling project, which will enable people experiencing digital exclusion to connect with their communities and access vital support, thanks to National Lottery players.

“GRCC is vital in supporting people in Gloucestershire to connect with others and reduce social isolation, and is just one example of our mission to support communities to come together.”

'Digitally excluded'

GRCC's CEO, Barbara Piranty said: "We are grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for this opportunity.

"This funding doesn’t just support the project; it builds a sustainable offer of practical help for those who need it most, whilst helping to develop digital policies, planning and delivery informed by the real-life experiences of the most digitally excluded in communities. "