2024 Highlights

We’ve been looking back at our highlights from this year!

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Digital Inclusion Network meetings this year!

In February, we had an amazing session where Beverley Young from Age UK discussed their inspiring campaign to end digital discrimination. We also heard touching stories from Sue Keogh and Deborah Katznelson about the challenges older people face with digital services. It was truly engaging and productive!

In May, we caught up on the latest developments, with Sally Page sharing digital funding news and Will Plant introducing Connecting Cambridgeshire’s new Digital Inclusion Delivery Plan. We learned about the impact of digital technology on mental health from Dr Joyce Coker and heard about efforts to support digitally excluded jobseekers from Catherine Sharman at Reed. The meeting was a fantastic reminder of the power of collaboration.

Our September meeting was fantastic, featuring Zoe Amar sharing key findings from The Charity Digital Skills Report, highlighting the innovative ways charities are progressing despite financial challenges. Charlotte Lewis discussed the importance of creating age-friendly communities and the need for accessible digital skills support. It was a great opportunity to enhance digital inclusion efforts across the community.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Cambs Digi Fest!

We kicked off with “Building Healthier Communities,” where Karen Igho, Dr Joyce F. Coker, and Dr Alison Tingle shared how digital inclusion can improve health services and mental health, especially for older adults. They emphasised the need for personalised support to ensure technology enhances social wellbeing without replacing human connection.

Next, we had “Empowering Families,” highlighting the digital challenges faced by households with children. Prof Simeon Yates and Dr Emma Stone discussed the Minimum Digital Living Standard, while Rachel Bennett and Stacy Bainbridge shared real-life stories from the Red Hen Project. They stressed the importance of community support and a balanced approach to digital and face-to-face services.

We also had a fantastic session on making social media accessible, where Thiago Carmo and Allana Grant from Passion4Social shared tips including using ALT text, captions, and accessible fonts. Finally, Flóra Raffai’s session on AI for small charities was a hit, showing how tools like ChatGPT and Canva can save time and enhance work.

Connect and Celebrate: Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership 2024 Round-up!

On December 4th, hosting with the wonderful Connecting Cambridgeshire, we gathered at the Meadows Community Centre for an amazing in-person event packed with interactive sessions, networking, and insightful discussions. We’re still beaming with joy! It was wonderful to see so many of our members face-to-face and hear all your updates. A special shoutout to Immy Black from Digital Poverty Alliance for her enlightening presentation on digital inclusion and the Tech 4 Young Carers initiative in Cambridgeshire.

If you would like to join us in 2025 to help fix the digital divide, then why not pop along to our network meeting on Tuesday 25 February – anyone is welcome that has an interest in digital inclusion!

Follow this link to book: https://buff.ly/41LlbfW

#DigitalInclusion #CommunitySupport #CambsDigiFest #StayConnected #TechForGood