Section Divider: Heading intro here.

Equality, aspiration & intervention

Inclusion in UK online centres and Public Libraries in the UK

Helen Milner, 22 October 2009

www.slideshare.net/helenmilner

on twitter @helenmilner

Not digital exclusion as a symptomIt’s digital inclusion as a solution

Finland first to declare broadband internet access a human right

100Mb to all Finnish residents by 2015

Source: Guardian.co.uk14 October 2009

Internet use as % of population

Source:World Internet User Statistics June 2009

Being Digital: Digital Britain

“To ensure that everyone can share in the benefits of a Digital Britain.”

The goal is not to get people using technology, it’s about the uses of technology to impact on and transform people’s lives.

UK online centres3500 member centres, covering 84% of England’s most deprived areas. Locations include: • Community centres including in social housing • Schools• Shops• Surestart and Children’s centres• Mosques, churches, religious buildings• Farms• Pubs• Homeless shelters and hostels• 2000 of the 3500 are Libraries

Facts about centre users

• 2 million people use UK online centres every year• One third have no formal qualifications• 74% affected by at least one indicator of social exclusion

• Over 50% receive state benefit• 74% not in paid employment• 64% progress to further education, IAG, volunteering, or employment

• 98% rate service as very good or excellent

In the UK, 21% of adults have never used the internet

Source: ONS 2009

More than half people (54%) in lower social grades have never used the internet

Higher social grades (AB) are twice as likely to use the internet (88%) as people from the lowest social grades (DE) (46%)

Reinforces 2008 ICM/UK online centres data which indicates that of the total offline population 11% are AB compared with 49% DE

OxiS 2009

It is a case of social equality:

97% of people in the highest income category (>£40,000) compared to only 38% of those in the lowest income (<£12,500) category

Source OxiS 2009

It’s about PEOPLE and what they DO with the Pipes and Platforms

Putting in broadband pipes will not solve inequality on its own

So what are newly online people doing online?

It’s about aspiration

Why (C2DE) users started using the internet

“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

Internet users confidence in their ability to find work out-stripped non users by 25%

“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

Community economic benefits: Australia› ATKearney economic model› Atherton Gardens Estate, Fitzroy, Melbourne› A$5.9m benefit (in five years, over 900

computers installed)› A$4.1m through education and employment› A$1.3m through communication and connectivity› A$0.2m in transactional efficiencies› A$0.3m in health and well-being

“Assessing the economic benefits of digital inclusion” ATKearney and Infoxchange Australia 2009

If all digitally excluded adults got online and made one digital contact each month, this would save an estimated £900 million per annum.

PwC & Martha Lane Fox

www.raceonline.org/research

October 2009

Getting more people onlineBarriers remain the same in 2009 as in 2007

Access: 38%

Skills & Confidence:20%

Motivation:34%

Freshminds 2007 and 2009

So what can we do to get more people online?

It’s about public, private and third sector support and investment (What’s the right intervention?)

Build on what we know and what we’ve got

In the UK, 70% of people who live in social housing aren’t online: a full 28% of everyone not online

Sources:

70% Oxford Internet Survey 2007

28% ICM 2008

Government Strategy Group for Social Housing and Digital Inclusion

* Action Plan before Christmas

Digital inclusion activity needs to be both mass and targeted

Mass: 3500 coordinated UK online centres

› Mencap, MIND (54), Nacro, Centre Point (5), Foyer (7), Age Concern (39), Rehab, Lifeline, RNIB, RNID, Access Group, Coalition for Inclusive Living, SureStart (25), Pitman, CSV Media (6), WEA (23), YMCA (25), Citizens Advice (2), Peabody Trust (4), learndirect, Everybody Online Centres, Libraries (2000)

› Mosques, job centres, youth centres, schools, health centres, mobiles, housing associations, community centres

Mass, centrally coordinated activityExample: Get online day (23 October 2009)

› Third annual Get online day in 2009

› 22,000 people got online in 2007 & 2008

› Mass publicity (newspapers, television, radio interviews)

› Mass coordinated marketing packs – locally delivered

› Local events – 750 events in 2009 (245 in Libraries)

Targeted: there is a UK online centre in 85% of the third most deprived areas in England

Libraries are just UK online centres

› Model 1: Community links and outreach sessions (Gateshead, Leeds)

› Model 2: Dedicated UK online centre zone with drop-in sessions with one-to-one support (Camden/Holborn, Devon/Exeter, Leicester)

› Model 3: Special courses eg 4 week beginner sessions (many inc Derby), and targeted eg “Got an ipod for Christmas and don’t know how to use it?” (many inc Gateshead)

Thank You

hmilner@ufi.com

www.twitter.com/helenmilner

www.ukonlinecentres.com

www.slideshare.net/helenmilner