Get Online Week returns from 19th – 25th October 2026, with digital support, events and opportunities taking place across Barnet to help residents get online, get connected and get confident.
From 19th – 25th October 2026, Barnet will join organisations across the UK to mark Get Online Week, the annual national digital inclusion campaign led by Good Things Foundation.
This year’s message – “Can’t get online, can’t get by” – highlights how important digital access and skills have become to everyday life. Applying for work, managing money, communicating with friends and family, booking appointments, accessing healthcare and using essential services increasingly involve being online.
Yet digital exclusion is not simply about whether somebody has an internet connection. People can face barriers because they lack a suitable device, cannot afford connectivity, have limited digital skills or confidence, or need trusted support to help them take their first steps online.
A week of action across Barnet
Throughout Get Online Week, Barnet Digital Inclusion and partners across the borough will be highlighting the support available to residents.
Residents can access help with everyday digital skills, using phones, tablets and computers, accessing online services, job searching, using the NHS App, getting connected and building confidence online.
The programme will include regular digital-support sessions alongside special Get Online Week activities, including:
- Official launch/promotion of the new digital-support offer at the Centre of Excellence in Grahame Park.
- A dedicated NHS App support event at Fallowfields Community Centre.
- Get Online Week activity at Homeless Action Barnet for people using the service.
- Promotion of Barnet’s wider network of community digital-support sessions.
Helping residents get connected
Barnet works with partners to remove the practical barriers that can prevent people from getting online. Eligible residents may be able to access free Community Fibre broadband and mobile data through the National Databank, delivered through community organisations in Good Things Foundation’s National Digital Inclusion Network.
Residents struggling with the cost of home broadband can also be signposted to social tariffs and other affordable connectivity options.
Devices that make a difference
Barnet works closely with 2econd Chance to give unwanted technology a second life. Residents, businesses and organisations can donate unwanted equipment for secure refurbishment, while community organisations can refer digitally excluded residents who need access to refurbished equipment. Affordable refurbished devices are also promoted through community sales where available.
This work supports both digital inclusion and environmental sustainability and reflects Barnet Council’s commitment as a signatory to the IT Reuse for Good Charter, promoting a reuse-first approach to unwanted technology.
People helping people
Digital Champions are volunteers who provide patient, practical support to people who may lack digital skills or confidence. You do not need to be an IT expert to become a Digital Champion. Barnet provides access to training and ongoing support to help volunteers assist residents safely and confidently.
Supporting community organisations
Barnet also wants to strengthen digital-support capacity within community organisations. Good Things Foundation’s National Digital Inclusion Network is free to join for eligible organisations and provides access to digital-skills resources and opportunities linked to data, devices, training and peer support.
Barnet organisations can also join the Barnet Get Online Network, bringing local organisations together to share information, training, resources and good practice.
Barnet’s commitment
Get Online Week builds on Barnet Council’s wider commitment to digital inclusion. Barnet has signed the Charter for Digital Inclusion, committing to breaking down barriers to digital access, literacy and skills, and is also a signatory to the IT Reuse for Good Charter.
Get Online Week may last seven days, but our work to tackle digital exclusion continues throughout the year.
Useful links
Find digital skills support in Barnet
Refurbished laptops and tablets / 2econd Chance
Good Things Foundation – National Digital Inclusion Network