Today at Barnet Council we’re supporting the 2nd annual End Digital Poverty Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the critical issue of digital exclusion. We’re proud to announce that we’ve signed the Digital Poverty Alliance’s Charter for Digital Inclusion.

Signing the Charter solidifies our commitment to ensuring equitable digital access for all. It aligns us with a broad coalition of organisations through the Digital Poverty Alliance’s Industry Forum working towards the same goal, enabling us to advocate for and implement inclusive digital practices more effectively. This important step underscores our commitment to raising awareness among our residents, colleagues, and partners about the significance of digital inclusion.

Bridging the Digital Divide

Digital exclusion creates significant barriers to essential aspects of modern life, including access to employment, skills training, benefits, and even more affordable utility bills. As technology continues to evolve, the digital inclusion gap widens, leaving more people behind. This is why we are dedicated to working collaboratively with our partners to ensure our services are accessible to everyone in our community—particularly those with low digital skills, disabilities, or other barriers.

Our Initiatives

To address these challenges, we have launched several key initiatives aimed at making digital access a reality for those who need it most. We partner with the Good Things Foundation to distribute free SIM cards to residents, ensuring they can stay connected to vital services and support networks. Through our collaboration with 2econd Chance, our device refurbishment partner, we provide free devices to digitally excluded residents in Barnet. This initiative not only helps bridge the digital divide but also supports a circular economy by extending the lifespan of electronic devices and reducing e-waste. Additionally, we offer free broadband services through Community Fibre to our most vulnerable residents, helping them stay connected and access essential online resources.

 

Empowering the Community

We believe that digital skills are essential for full participation in society. Our network of Accredited Barnet Digital Champions are actively working across the community in various settings, including food banks, health services, BOOST (a Barnet Council employment & digital service), youth organisations, over-55s groups, community centres, Barnet libraries, and within Barnet Council. These champions host weekly digital support sessions, providing one-on-one and group assistance to residents in need of digital skills training. This ensures that help is available where it is most needed, directly within the community.

If you would like to contribute or benefit from our initiatives:

Together, we can close the digital divide and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from digital access.