Co-operative launches to promote digital skills in Preston

A new cooperative has launched to promote digital inclusion across communities in Preston.

Preston Digital Cooperative has welcomed Preston City Council as a founding member. It aims to tackle digital exclusion, which can lead to social isolation and economic deprivation by offering free wifi, access to devices and skills programmes.

People who are digitally excluded face greater challenges entering the job market, in receiving the best offers and value for money for products and services online.

This intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic, and many have been left disadvantaged, impacting those most acutely in lower income and deprived households.

If this is addressed, it is another way of helping to tackle rising prices and the cost-of-living crisis of recent times.

The cooperative is being set up as a way to bring together public, voluntary and private organisations working to improve access to connectivity, devices and skills across Preston for digitally excluded people and communities. It will use UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) to help provide free connectivity in some areas, refurbished devices for residents that need them, and free digital skills training.

Coun Matthew Brown, leader at Preston City Council, said: “As a growing number of its own services are now digitally based, it is important that the council leads by example. The work of the Preston Digital Cooperative will help to tackle the digital divide and improve digital inclusion, ensuring that our residents have equal access. It also fits with our Community Wealth Building principles of anchor collaboration and democratic ownership.

“Once established, Preston Digital Cooperative will provide free public wifi in selected areas of the city, access to devices for those residents who do not have them, and basic support for residents who lack digital literacy skills.

“The greatest impact will be on the health and wellbeing, and life opportunities of our residents, which as a council we want to address. In the longer term we will explore how Preston Digital Cooperative can be an alternative, ethical provider in the market working with and supporting our local communities and businesses."

Shaun Fensom, chair at Community Broadband Network, added: “We are excited to be working with Preston City Council and other organisations across the city to set up and be involved with Preston Digital Cooperative. It is an opportunity to develop and build on our work in other regions across the UK for more than 20 years.

“The cooperative will work on innovative ways to source and distribute devices and enable free wireless broadband connectivity in selected places across the city.”