Network meeting 26 February 2026
Thank you to those who attended the Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership network meeting.
It was wonderful seeing you all, and we truly appreciate your time!
Chair, Will Plant, Senior Programme Manager, Digital Inclusion at Connecting Cambridgeshire welcomed our wonderful speakers:
Donna Brabin, Senior Customer Partnership Manager, at Everon.
Tom Paton, Founder of Broadband Savvy.
Tim Deer, Work and Health Programme Lead at CPCA.
And Attendees:
Co-host: Karen Cann – Communications and Development Worker at Support Cambridgeshire
Sophie Skrimshire – National Management Trainee at Connecting Cambridgeshire
Jigna Vyas Gosal – Development Officer at Support Cambridgeshire
Rachel Carpenter – Senior Manager – Subcontracting, MI and Compliance, Cambridgeshire Skills
Beth Pettit – Digital and Community Engagement Co-ordinator (East Cambs) at CPFT
Vaccas Nawaz – Lead Vocational Curriculum Manager at Cambridgeshire Skills
Ana Silva – Library Development Officer, Cambridgeshire Libraries
Julie Amps – Community Connector, Huntingdon at Cambridgeshire County Council
Faith Oyepeju – Founder of Elenasy
Aniqa Rahman – Digital Inclusion Officer at ECC & Digital Herts
Matt Humphries – Head of Partnerships, Public Affairs & Engagement at Sustainable Tech 4 Good
Denise Coates – Tech4Inclusion Manager at Sustainable Tech 4 Good
Kate Jones – Marketing Manager at Studio 24 and Trustee at Cherry Hinton Hub
Stacy Bainbridge – Lead Project Worker for The Red Hen Project
Mirella Teague – Project Coordinator at Care Network Cambridgeshire
Megan Fitt – Digital Support Team Leader at Clarion Futures Digital
Steph Burton – Community Engagement and Project Leader at Raspberry Pi
Caitlin Evans – Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager at Cambridgeshire Acre
Andrew Martin – SEO | Podcaster | Archivist
Joshua Mews – Digital Inclusion Officer at Essex County Council
Mairead Wright – Employment, Skills and Enterprise Manager at Amplius
Gareth Owen – Business Development Manager at Precedence Technologies Ltd
Tina Oliver Jordan – Volunteering Coordinator at Care Network Cambridgeshire
Notes
The meeting opened with a warm welcome from Will and a reminder that the Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership is a network for anyone with an interest in digital inclusion across Cambs. The aim is to share opportunities, challenges, learning and best practice, and to highlight the work of different organisations through regular guest speakers.
Network Updates
Will shared several updates before introducing the speakers.
The CityFibre Community Fund, offering small grants to voluntary organisations delivering digital inclusion work, is now open. We hope to invite CityFibre to a future meeting to talk about funded projects.
Information was also shared about Raspberry Pi Code Clubs, which support coding and digital skills activities for young people. The Raspberry Pi Foundation is keen to work with local groups!
An update was given about the recent event, Cambridge United Foundation‘s Seniors’ Lunch, where we chatted to older people about scams and online safety. This was delivered with partners including Connecting Cambridgeshire and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Against Scams Partnership. Around 90 older residents attended. Cambridge United Foundation hopes to host further digital inclusion‑themed sessions later in the year. You can catch up with this article here.
Connecting Cambridgeshire has funding confirmed to continue its connectivity and digital inclusion work until March 2029, meaning ongoing support for this network. A delivery plan for the next three years will be published around April/May.
Guest Speakers
Donna Brabin introduced Everon’s involvement in an early‑stage pilot project combining Everon’s reactive telecare technology with Howz’s behavioural monitoring. Sanctuary Supported Living will act as the alarm receiving centre.
Donna illustrated the pilot through a fictional example, “Mr Bennett”, showing how integrated technology can support older people living at home and reduce pressure on family members and services. The pilot aims to streamline equipment, reduce data‑handling burdens for social care teams, and provide predictive insights to identify emerging needs before a crisis occurs.
Outcomes sought include improved care accuracy, fewer falls and hospital admissions, and earlier intervention. Findings will be shared once the pilot concludes. Donna also highlighted the forthcoming analogue‑to‑digital switchover, noting that Everon’s wireless telecare system can support housing schemes without reliance on traditional broadband.
Tom Paton introduced Broadband Savvy, which produces free, easy‑to‑understand resources explaining broadband concepts for people who are not tech‑confident. Their materials cover:
- Jargon‑busting (e.g. MiFi, fibre, mobile broadband)
- Affordable connectivity, especially social tariffs
- Troubleshooting slow speeds and Wi‑Fi issues
- A broadband‑speed calculator to help people avoid overpaying
Broadband Savvy welcomes organisations linking to their resources and offers informal support via their contact page. Tom agreed to explore creating visual assets for partners who wish to share their content on social media.
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority – Employment & Health Support
Tim Deer provided an overview of key employment‑related programmes:
- Connect to Work – Launching March/April 2026, funded to 2030, supporting around 4,000 people.
- WorkWell – Running since November 2024, now funded to 2029, expecting to support around 7,500 people.
- Youth Guarantee – Funded to 2028, with around 2,000 participants anticipated.
Together, these programmes aim to support more than 13,000 residents.
Mental health remains the primary barrier to employment, alongside transport, confidence and skills. Work and Health Coaches signpost individuals to local support including training, volunteering, counselling, mental health services, Citizens Advice, and benefits guidance.
Tim encouraged organisations to register on the Joy and How Are You platforms to increase visibility to Work and Health Coaches and social prescribers.
He also confirmed support is available for single parents and others facing complex employment barriers.
Member Updates
Matt Humphries introduced himself as the new Head of Partnerships for Sustainable Tech for Good and looks forward to collaborating across the network.
Karen highlighted Support Cambridgeshire’s library of bitesize training, including a module on creating simple videos.
Faith at Elenasy CIC introduced their work supporting young people and families around online safety and productive digital skills use. They run weekly off‑screen activities including Lego and board games while weaving in online‑safety conversations, along with sessions for parents. Elenasy is developing a coding club in partnership with Raspberry Pi and recently ran sessions for Safer Internet Day.
Cambridgeshire Libraries shared details of free VR taster sessions at Central and Cambourne Libraries during March, aimed at helping people try emerging technologies in a low‑pressure, accessible environment.
Cambridgeshire Skills – Adult Learning shared links to upcoming digital skills courses and invited organisations to get in touch if they need tailored IT skills training.
Donna also mentioned the importance of being prepared for the digital switchover.
Thank you to all who attended. We were thrilled to see such a great turnout. There was a real sense of energy in the room, with people sharing updates, new projects and plans for the year ahead. A proper spring feeling!
Please join us at the next meeting on Thursday 21 May!
Please let Karen know if you’d like us to cover a certain topic or if you’d like to present yourself. Share the invitation widely—new voices are always welcome.
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