The Southwark Digital Inclusion Team is delighted to announce an opportunity for Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Southwark to participate in an opportunity aimed at supporting and enhancing digital inclusion across our district.
Our team is committed to providing residents with access to devices, the internet, and the skills needed to navigate the digital world. We acknowledge that digital poverty is a significant challenge within our district, and our VCSE organisations are pivotal in addressing this issue.
As part of Virgin Media O2 Business’s social value commitment to Southwark Council, we are seeking 10 local VCSE organisations that can support digital inclusion and are interested in receiving Virgin Media Business broadband at no cost for 5 years. The broadband product on offer is the Voom Gig1 Fibre Business Broadband, providing up to 1000Mbps download speed and up to 100Mbps upload speed. This offer is for broadband only – it does not include a phone line. If a phone line is required, this will be a chargeable add-on.
To be considered for these offers, your organisation must meet the following criteria:
- Be Virgin Media serviceable. You can check your eligibility by entering your organisations postcode into this checker: https://www.virginmedia.com/postcode-checker.
- Be a registered charity with a charity number and/or a Community Interest Company (CIC). By law, your memorandum and articles of association must also include a not-for-profit ‘asset lock’ clause.
Expressions of Interest will be assessed by Southwark Council’s Digital Inclusion Team based on:
• A clear plan for how your organisation intends to use internet connectivity to support individuals with access to the internet, devices and skills to engage in the digital world.
• Agreement to registering with the Good Things Foundation to access free sim cards, devices, and grant opportunities. Evidence of how your organisation will use this to benefit individuals in your communities to be digitally included.
We believe that this initiative can make a significant impact on digital inclusion in our community, and we encourage you to express your interest by completing the e-form:
https://forms.office.com/e/yNqpGHUYyc
Expression of Interest Deadline: 1st January 2025
We look forward to your Expressions of Interest and are excited about the positive changes this opportunity can bring to our community. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the Digital Inclusion inbox or email any of us copied in.
