As part of Vodafone UK’s everyone.connected programme, the Liverpool City Region initiative continues to prove why connectivity is a must for any successful, modern city.
When Mayor of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Steve Rotheram launched the Digital Inclusion Initiative (DII) in August 2023, his stated aim was to “put a dent” in the 300,000+ that are digitally excluded in the area.
Fast forward 18 months and, with the support of Vodafone, Lloyds Banking Group, Assurant and others, the programme has already hit its initial target of helping more than 4,500 residents. A total that adds to Vodafone’s own everyone.connected goal of helping four million people and businesses cross the digital divide by 2025.
By providing a tablet, in-person digital training and six months of free mobile connectivity, locals are now able to access everything from employment to healthcare. None of which would have been possible, however, without the buy in of organisations and their employees across the area.
After all, beyond the numbers, it’s the individual stories that really bring home the impact of this initiative.
At the centre of communities
Just ask Paul George, Community Investment Officer at Livv Housing Group (Livv). Based in Knowsley, Livv supports around 28,000 customers, but its mission goes beyond providing housing. Livv works closely with customers and local partners on projects to tackle issues like digital exclusion, creating a lasting, positive impact in the communities it serves.
Paul George, Community Investment Officer at Livv Housing Group.
“I first learned of the DII through the LCR Digital Inclusion Network,” says Paul. “At Livv, we’re always looking for ways to help our customers get online and stay connected. The DII was an invaluable project as it gave us access to the tools and training needed to better support our customers.”
What began with 60 tablets, provided in July 2024, quickly grew to 100 due to the positive response from Livv’s customers to digital skills training. Recognising the potential for greater impact, Paul completed his own training to deliver the digital skills sessions himself.
This widened Livv’s digital offer, allowing more customers to benefit from one-to-one training as well as group sessions. Over time, Paul hosted digital skills sessions for customers in local community hubs and within Livv’s own community centres – many of which are linked to its extra care or sheltered schemes.
"It’s been wonderful to see them use their new skills to connect with loved ones, pay bills, or even make their first online purchase.”
Paul George, Community Investment Officer, Livv Housing Group
“When I first launched these sessions, some customers who had never used our centres before started coming down,” explains Paul. “Many had never even spoken to their neighbours, but these small group settings made it easy for them to connect.
“This social aspect – getting people out of the house and meeting new people – was a huge bonus. They loved using the tablets and found the training useful. It’s been wonderful to see them use their new skills to connect with loved ones, pay bills, or even make their first online purchase.”
Although the sessions focused on digital skills, it soon became clear that they offered much more, making it easier to understand what else customers might need support with.
“One customer, who I’ll call Adam, had been struggling with his mental health after being discharged from hospital,” says Paul. “Unable to leave the house due to his injury, he found himself becoming increasingly isolated.
“The tablet with free data that we provided allowed him to connect with his friends and family who lived out of the area. This made a huge difference in combating his feelings of isolation and had such a positive impact on his mental health.”
Back on the net
It’s a similar story for Maxine Roberts, Enrichment Manager at Everton in the Community (EitC) – Everton Football Club’s official charity and one of the Premier League’s leading community schemes – which has handed out 39 tablets to a wide range of people.
Maxine Roberts, Enrichment Manager at Everton in the Community.
With a background in education, where digital access is often more available, Maxine made it a mission to similarly incorporate digital into the charity’s own programmes.
“I see somebody’s life skills as being their maths, their English and their digital,” says Maxine. “These are the three skills that you need to get you through working and personal life.”
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority reaching out in 2023 to share news of the newly-formed Digital Inclusion Network was perfect timing, therefore, and soon led to EitC running its own digital drop-in sessions.
The real “lightbulb moment”, however, was when the team realised attendees could be further helped by being integrated into other programmes taking place across the charity.
“While some older people came in to improve their digital skills, you could tell it also got them out of isolation."
Maxine Roberts, Enrichment Manager, Everton in the Community
“We’re just one of more than sixty programmes at EitC,” she explains, “which is a charity that effectively spans from the cradle to the grave – from stay-and-play programmes for parents right through to elderly services and support for those with dementia.
“While some older people came in to improve their digital skills, you could tell it also got them out of isolation. So, we introduced them to our Stand Together programme, which is a group that meets weekly to help address social isolation.
“Likewise, we’ve had some people come from our veterans programme – who have got great operational skills but are not very digitally minded – join us at the digital drop in.”
This integration extends to the football club itself as well, where EitC works “hand in hand” with Everton F.C.
“Working in a kiosk on a match day is fantastic for young people,” says Maxine, “but everything is done on an app, which is no good if you have no data, so we quite often support a lot of them in these matchday roles.”
Get Online Week: How a Stockport café is building digital access from the grounds up
A ukelele group, expert latte art and free computer lessons are three things you’d normally have to search for in very different locations. Not in Woodley, Stockport, however – where local community learning partnership Starting Point delivers all three to a close-knit community in need of support.
Looking ahead, Livv has identified a continued need for this vital support. To keep the momentum of the programme going, the organisation has invested in 100 smartphones and 100 tablets, ensuring it can reach even more digitally-excluded customers.
“It’s been great getting to see our customers face to face through this programme” says Paul “and now we’re able to continue to support the pipeline of customers wanting to get involved who missed out last time”.
At EitC, the company is now looking to give older generations the opportunity to experience newer technologies by purchasing virtual reality headsets and games consoles.
Maxine’s personal long-term goal, meanwhile, is to introduce an online learning platform, similar to those used by schools and colleges.
“We’ve set up as a databank with Good Things Foundation, as well,” says Maxine, “because I’m very aware that, to address digital poverty, you need to be looking at all three strands: data, devices and skills.”
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