FEATURE

Helping Scotland to get connected

This feature is almost 3 years old

From the May 2021 issue of TFN Magazine
by Gareth Jones

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Gareth Jones learns more about the Connecting Scotland programme, which aims to tackle digital exclusion

If there’s one thing that unites many of us over the past year, it’s that we’ve been spending a lot more times in front of screens.

The last 14 months have saw us well and truly fry our eyes in front of Zoom and Teams at work, and Netflix and Amazon Prime at home.

However, there are many households across Scotland that still have either limited or no access to the internet, at a time when connecting through the digital world has never been more important.

The Connecting Scotland programme was announced by the Scottish Government last year in a bid to tackle digital exclusion. Investment in the initiative has now increased to more than £48 million, with 60,000 low income households due to receive support by the end of this year.

Connecting Scotland was launched in response to the pandemic, to provide digital devices, data, training and support to get online to those who need it most. It has grown rapidly through the support of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), local authorities and voluntary sector organisations, who deliver and provide the support to their communities.

It works with organisations to support their service users to get online, providing iPads, Chromebooks and support to develop digital skills for people who are digitally excluded and on low incomes.

Anna Fowlie, chief executive of SCVO, said it is vital that communities can access the technology and skills required to live in today’s digital world.

She said: “For most of us, technology has played a crucial role during the past year in keeping us connected to friends and family, informed and entertained, and able to continue with learning and work.

“However, there are people that can’t access the benefits of being online because of the affordability of kit and connectivity, or the confidence and skills to be able to use technology effectively.

“Connecting Scotland, working in partnership with local authorities and hundreds of voluntary organisations, has helped tens of thousands of families in Scotland to get online. Local staff and volunteers have made a huge contribution as Digital Champions, offering tailored advice to help people gain the vital digital skills they need now and for the future.

“Supporting people to develop these essential skills is an important part of tackling inequalities in Scotland – something that is never more needed than right now.”

African Challenge Scotland is just one of the organisations that has gained devices through the programme.

The charity’s Ronier Deumeni (pictured, above) said: “It is something that families were asking us about, so when we heard about Connecting Scotland, we looked online and we were lucky as applications were open.

“We have been working with communities for nine or 10 years, so were able to demonstrate the need for the devices clearly, and people were coming to us for digital support.”

African Challenge Scotland gained 30 Chromebooks and hope to be able to access more in a later round of the programme, as there is great need for digital devices for the families it works with.

Deumeni added: “They are very important for the families, as many of them are struggling a lot. The majority are refugees or asylum seekers and have been going through great difficulties. Through the asylum process, many of them have spent a long time in detention centres, and can stay there for six months, a year or longer.

“They are very stressed, having been locked up for a long time after escaping problems in their own countries. The anxiety from being locked up remains, and they have had to be locked up again because of the pandemic.

“The devices are absolutely vital for providing not only a connection with their families back home, but also for receiving support from us, to help children do their school work, and to help them learn digital skills to help them get jobs.”

**Children enjoying Licketyspit online sessions.**

Licketyspit – which aims to fire children’s imaginations through theatre and drama-led play – distributed 40 Chromebook and Mifis in January 2021 to 48 families in its children and families network.

As well as using these devices to access Licketyspit Zoom sessions, where children have made firm friends through playing games, the Connecting Scotland devices and connectivity have been a lifeline for online learning (for parents as well as children), increasing parents' digital confidence and accessing services and other support groups, like virtual cooking groups and mental health appointments.

Lickeyspit has also been running Lickety Mums Digital Know-how sessions with support from the Scottish Refugee Council to empower recipients of the devices.

Ruby Zajac, creative producer of Licketyspit’s children and families network, said: “It was very gratifying when the Connecting Scotland project was announced, some six months after we first started to address digital inequality for families in our community.

"The Chromebooks and Mifis were delivered just as the funding ran out for the sim cards we had provided with our Lickety Tablets back in May 2020, and the long term connectivity they provide is a huge relief for families we work with.

"We were also very pleased to hear John Swinney commit to providing internet devices for every child in Scotland, if re-elected, as there are still many families on our waiting list and elsewhere who need connectivity. I think it shows a gear change in government responsiveness to third sector campaigning.”

Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action (DVVA) is another organisation that has been helping to ensure the devices are distributed to communities most in need. It received around 40 devices along with data allowance to distribute to vulnerable people with a lack of digital communication.

In addition to distributing the free devices, DVVA has been recruiting, training, and then allocating volunteers to teach individuals how to use devices effectively. The volunteers, known as digital champions, provide remote support and assistance with activities such as switching on devices for the first time, navigating the internet, creating an email account, becoming familiar with Microsoft Office and introducing social media and video calling such as Zoom.

The project has now been running for more than six months and made a significant difference. Learners have been able to call friends and family, and see familiar faces they have not been in contact with since before the first lockdown. Other learners have become able to attend online group meetings, appointments and browse online stores which they would normally visit in person.

Digital champion Maureen said: “I have found this experience to be very rewarding. The two sisters I am helping are both in their 80s but are keen to get connected and pick things up well after a few times practicing. They have quickly become confident using email, FaceTime, YouTube, and online grocery shopping. This has allowed them to be connected with their extended family, taking part in family quizzes and to access their church services and social activities which are all very important to them.

“The learning process can be quite frustrating for the learners and myself as being unable to see their screen is sometimes difficult to assess what they are struggling with. It is also very time consuming, taking up to two hours a session at times to complete a task first time over but this becomes quicker with practice.

“Despite the drawbacks building a relationship with my learners has been extremely rewarding. They are lovely ladies and grateful for the help offered to them. To witness their satisfaction at achieving a new skill is a joy. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone with patience and time to spend.”

Maureen’s learner, Irene, 86, said: “We wondered if we would be able to do it because of our age, but we are getting on fine. We even did our own online grocery shop last night and it’s getting delivered on Saturday. We were very novice at the beginning as we’ve never had a computer before but Maureen has done us a power of good. She has the patience of a saint”.

Nicola Mitchell, older people services development officer at DVVA, said: “Being able to provide not only the technology and connection along with a volunteer champion has been incredibly worthwhile. Hearing that our learners are now able to take part in Zoom calls and see their loved ones has been particularly heart-warming. We had lots of learners with family or grandchildren who didn’t live locally, so this project was a real lifeline to them. Other successes include some learners not only taking part in community meetings or groups, but who are leading by example and taking their meetings and members online too allowing the work that they were doing for their communities to continue. I am so proud of the learners for their patience and determination to learn, not an easy task when you are learning remotely.”

Link Housing has received support to help 496 low income and digitally excluded households across central Scotland get online.

Craig Stephenson, digital inclusion officer at Link, said: “The social value for this type of project is enormous. We should not underestimate the difference this makes to people’s lives; it can be truly transformative.

“We recently launched a new digital strategy to reaffirm our vision of being a provider of choice and excellence in the delivery of a wide range of social regeneration, housing and support services.

“One of the themes of this strategy focuses on ensuring our customers have access to digital services and are not disadvantaged by their financial situation or other constraints.

“For this reason, following an application to Connecting Scotland, we were delighted to be allocated 496 devices to distribute to customers across the Link group that need them most.”