Everyone Connected
In this new socially distanced world Good Things Foundation is coordinating action through a new initiative called Everyone Connected (formerly DevicesDotNow), targeting digitally excluded households without access to the internet.
Why is this important?
11.9 million do not have the Essential Digital Skills needed for day-to-day life in the UK
1.9 million households in the UK lack any kind of internet access
9 million struggle to use the internet independently
Our Everyone Connected projects
Connecting Families – Children in Need & Vodafone
The Connecting Families programme will deliver at least 1,900 devices, connectivity and support to help disadvantaged families in the UK.
A digitally connected device will enable parents and young people to register for help and access to essential services which have moved online during the Covid 19 crisis, and improve the ability of a parent to work from home to maintain income for the whole family.
Good Things Foundation has already distributed more than 400 data-enabled devices to disadvantaged families. But there are many more families who need these devices and the support of local community organisations.
By the end of 2020, through our network of community partners, we plan to deliver at least 1,900 devices to disadvantaged families. Community partners who are part of the Online Centres Network will be invited to apply for devices and connectivity that they will then distribute to Individuals in their local communities. These community partners will also provide ongoing support; to enable people to use the devices for homeschooling, apply for benefits, and to stay connected with loved ones.
The National Lottery Community Fund
Good Things Foundation has been awarded £500,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund to bolster its work supporting communities affected by the COVID-19 crisis to engage with digital.
The funding will be used to equip and upskill 4,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged people in England; people whose quality of life has been made harder during the pandemic through digital exclusion.
By December 2020, the funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will have been used to acquire appropriate devices and connectivity (through SIMs or mobile dongles). It will also be used to support people to get online and build their digital skills.
Barclays Bank
Good Things Foundation has been awarded £100,000 from Barclays Bank to support digitally excluded people affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The funding will be used to provide data-enabled devices to over 400 digitally excluded people in the UK.
Since the start of the pandemic, community partners have seen a huge surge in demand for support with digital access, affordability, and skills. Embedded in their local communities, they are best placed to identify those in greatest need of this support, and to ensure devices are distributed safely by community ‘digital champions’ who can offer remote and on-the-doorstep support with digital skills.
Read our reports
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Everyone Connected
A report of the key findings from the Everyone Connected project, which gets devices, data and skills to digitally excluded households.
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Everyone Connected – National Lottery Community Fund report
A report on the impact and findings of the Everyone Connected programme from July 2020 to January 2021, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
Our project partners
Barclays Bank
BBC Children in Need
BT
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
Google.org
JP Morgan
National Lottery Community Fund
Nominet
Vodafone