How to collaborate for digital inclusion

The mission of digital inclusion is a multi-faceted one, involving many diverse stakeholders and influencing factors. A range of organisations work to address the four core issues of digital exclusion (availability, affordability, meaningful access, and participation), as well as to tackle the exclusionary transfer of important information and services to online channels.

These organisations work hard to keep pace with rapid technological changes and their effects, giving one-to-one support, forging creative new solutions, and driving to change failing systems.

A key strength of the digital inclusion movement is its collaborative approach, with its use of networks, alliances, partnerships, and coalitions spanning the UK and its sectors. In this article, we explore the role of collaboration to achieving a digitally inclusive society.

Lead with lived experience

The most important people to collaborate with on solving digital exclusion are the people experiencing it.

Coproduction is where an equal partnership is formed between people who use services, those that support them, and professionals, in order to work towards shared goals. It can help organisations be part of more effective and empowering solutions.

In their Coproduction toolkit, the charity Homeless Link outlines eight key steps to move services towards coproduction:

• Become a strengths-based service, valuing service users for what they can contribute
• Build confidence and self-development, having a welcoming and positive team culture
• Create opportunities to get involved, such as volunteering, designing services, interviewing and inducting new staff, and employment
• Make links with peer networks beyond the service to bring useful input about how you could do things differently, as well as other benefits
• Share power and responsibilities, recognising existing power imbalances and interacting with people who use services as equal partners
• Develop new organisational structures and training to ensure that staff are adequately supported to deliver on co-production
• Follow through, being honest and transparent about goals, limitations, and progress
• Reflect on your progress, for example using the NEF Co-production Self-assessment Framework

Connect and communicate

Another key step to collaboration is starting a dialogue with other individuals and organisations that have the same goal.

The Digital Poverty Alliance’s Global Community Hub is a free online forum for anyone working to solve digital poverty. Users can post questions, engage in discussions, and arrange collaborations across sectors.

In-person opportunities to collaborate on digital inclusion can also mean that those who are currently digitally excluded can be involved.

Making the most of new and existing networks can help accelerate learning and create effective new solutions where they are needed, avoiding both silos and overlap in services.

Link local with national

The National Digital Inclusion Network, led by the charity Good Things Foundation, is a network of local “hubs” that deliver a range of free services that help people access or learn how to use the internet.

Joining the network for free gives organisations the ability to provide free mobile data, free digital devices, and support people’s digital skills using the platform Learn My Way.

Organisations in the network note benefits such as reaching new service users, providing a highly needed resource in local communities, connecting with other community organisations with a similar vision, and being represented to policymakers through Good Things Foundation’s advocacy work.

Form meaningful partnerships

Partnerships between charities and businesses are an opportunity to make the most of different skills, areas of expertise, and resources to reach a common goal.

For example, Good Things Foundation’s National Databank was created in partnership with Virgin Media O2 and supported by Vodafone and Three. The companies regularly donate mobile data SIM cards to the charity, which are then distributed to local digital inclusion hubs to people experiencing data poverty or living on a low income in their community.

According to Simon Phillips, reflecting on his work as Director of Fundraising at Macmillan Cancer Support, having a successful charity partnership requires having a clear and tangible goal, shared values and mutual respect, and brand alignment. He also says charities should have flexible partnership models and involve the right team members at the right times.

Charities can also form coalitions with other charities, businesses, and public sector organisations to tackle issues in a co-ordinated way.

Work well with policymakers

Charities can work with policymakers by representing the experiences of their service users and providing access to the latest data on their cause.

According to 2022 research by Pro Bono Economics, three in five MPs and two thirds of councillors want charities to engage with them more, favouring one-to-one meetings and events as the best types of engagement.

In addition, the research found that policymakers value long-term working relationships with charities.

Digital Inclusion campaigns in 2024 include Age UK’s Offline and Overlooked campaign, which is calling for fair and equal access to services. Good Things Foundation is calling on the UK Government and all political parties to act on digital inclusion, while the Digital Poverty Alliance works strategically with local authorities, civil servants, and politicians as part of its National Delivery Plan.

Find out more

Our 2024 Digital Inclusion Summit revealed how charities can help can make the digital world a safer, happier, more inclusive place, from improving access to digital devices to demystifying cyber security. Click here to watch the session recordings for free.

Our report, ‘Digital inclusion in the UK charity sector’, uncovers charity practitioners’ attitudes towards digital inclusion, including the challenges charities face in reaching out to service users and how they are making the most of the digital technology they use. Click the link in the orange box below to download the report.

Our Digital Inclusion Hub features regular articles, podcasts, and webinars to help charities reach across the digital divide. Click here to learn more.