Wanted…..Your Help To Develop Digital Support In Sandwell (Microgrant Programme Available)

Voluntary and Community organisations in Sandwell are being invited to support partnership efforts to tackle digital exclusion in the borough – helping the Council and VCS leaders to better understand what support Sandwell residents need to get online.  In order to facilitate the gathering of resident input and feedback, a new SCVO microgrant programme has been launched that helps groups to cover some of the costs that might be involved.

Recent figures suggest that across the UK over 10% of households do not have the digital skills for everyday life (source: Ofcom) and indications are that in Sandwell this percentage is much higher.  Sandwell Council and partners are now considering how this challenge can be met through the development of a new Digital Strategy, which will build on the learning of many community-based projects that have supported residents with their digital skills, both during the Covid pandemic and since.

The starting point for this planning work is to gain a clearer picture of what barriers residents and communities face and what they feel will help them to utilise digital and all the benefits this can offer them.

Applications are now being welcomed from local community groups, charities and not-for-profits for micro-grants that will fund engagement activity with residents who are not online or not using digital.  The funding will enable staff and volunteers to support residents to complete a simple survey, with a minimum expectation of 15 surveys for each microgrant.

SCVO are now open to applications, (<<==click to download application form – .docx format) and details of the light-touch process for submission can be found within these guidance notes.  Any further enquiries can be sent to SCVO at grants@scvo.info