Four in 10 households with children do not meet the digital living standard

Virgin Money Foundation has awarded new grants totalling £1.4m to organisations across Glasgow and the North East of England to help tackle digital poverty as part of its Building Digital Skills grant programme.   

Four in 10 households with children in the UK (45%) do not meet the Minimum Digital Living Standard, according to recent research by Good Things Foundation, which equates to 3.7 million households. This means they don’t have accessible internet, adequate equipment or the skills and knowledge needed to communicate, connect and engage in the modern world.   

The research found that 38% of households struggle with online skills, with parents, children, or both lacking functional or critical digital abilities. For 17% of households with children, this means parents being unable to create an email account or make online payments to pay household bills etc. Almost one in five households (18.5%) do not fully meet the equipment and services threshold, lacking one or more of broadband, TV, or devices.   

Virgin Money Foundation has developed a new strategy to tackle this issue, supported by £3 million of funding from Virgin Money. Its Building Digital Skills Fund will be used to support community organisations known as Community Anchors, to boost their communities' digital skills and confidence, provide access to affordable data and broadband, and ensure they have the necessary equipment such as mobile wi-fi devices. 
 
Seventeen organisations across Glasgow and the North East of England are benefitting from this round of grant awards of £1.4m in total, with individual grants of £42k to £100k.    

Nancy Doyle-Hall, executive director of Virgin Money Foundation, said: “Through our work with community organisations in statistically disadvantaged areas, we’ve seen that a lack of digital access and confidence significantly hinders individuals from progressing in their lives, whether it’s applying for jobs, accessing education, or booking a GP appointment.

"This is why Virgin Money Foundation has introduced a new strategy aimed at addressing the critical issue of digital poverty by launching the Building Digital Skills Fund.   

“Through this Fund we will work with Community Anchor organisations to develop bespoke approaches to help tackle digital poverty in their communities. The funding they receive will help make a positive difference in Glasgow and the North East of England and we look forward to seeing the results of their work.”   

Rosemount Lifelong Learning (RLL) is based in Royston in North East Glasgow. Its mission is to increase the life chances of people living in the area through the provision of high-quality learning, through its purpose-built centre and nursery, both of which are well used by the local community.

Funding from Virgin Money Foundation will support RLL’s 'Click & Connect' programme, which supports children and adults across activities including job applications, CV writing and applying for Universal Credit and car insurance.  

Sean Morrow, chief executive officer at Rosemount Lifelong Learning said: “We are excited to receive a grant from Virgin Money Foundation to promote digital inclusion in North Glasgow. Our dual approach focuses on enhancing skills and continuous learning while addressing digital isolation.

“The funding will help us expand our ‘Click & Connect’ projects, meeting growing demand and creating new opportunities. In the past year, we engaged over 300 people, and with the support from Virgin Money Foundation and HFD Charitable Foundation, we aim to reach at least 550 this year. 

“The digital age affects many, often without us realizing the impact of digital exclusion on our connections with family, community, and the world.”  

The first round of grants from Virgin Money Foundation’s Building Digital Skills fund are available up to £100k over three years to address issues that hold their communities back from being digitally included.  
 
In Glasgow, the Building Digital Skills funding builds on a successful partnership between the HFD Charitable Foundation and Virgin Money Foundation, which saw the Community Anchors’ Fund Glasgow deliver over £1 million to Glasgow-based community groups and charities between 2020-2023.