Background

The Facts
Currently 33% of people in the UK are considered digitally excluded¹, this means they do not have access to a computer or the internet. This leads to individuals and communities becoming financially disadvantaged, socially marginalised and missing opportunities including education and employment.

27% of UK adults have never used the internet².  As online services become a crucial aspect of daily life, lack of web access has developed into a key facet of social exclusion.

BT Community Connections was developed in 2000 by BT's Corporate Social Responsibility Unit as a direct response to digital exclusion issues. BT has invested in excess of £6million in the scheme and has awarded more than 6,000 packages of IT equipment.

The Target
BT Community Connections forms a critical component of BT's response to the ongoing challenge of digital exclusion. BT has set a target to reduce the number of individuals who are considered to be digitally excluded from 36% to 32.4% over three years.

How BT Takes Action
BT believes that enhanced communication creates a fairer, more inclusive society where everybody has the opportunity to participate, benefit and contribute.  By providing technology to community organisations BT is playing a role in helping to close the digital divide which threatens to marginalise millions of citizens.

BT Community Connections enables community and charitable organisations working throughout the UK and ROI to apply for a laptop and a year's free broadband connection. The scheme is particularly aimed at those organisations in areas of deprivation with little or no funding that would otherwise have no IT provision. Thousands of diverse community organisations including community projects, silver surfers, conservation organisations, family support groups, sports teams and youth groups have all been supported in the past and regional mapping shows that no part of the UK remains untouched by the scheme.

Whilst all awards build capacity, the inclusion of the new BTCC Cluster Award application further widens the scope of the scheme.  Cluster applications will focus on community groups who currently work together or who are looking to join with other community groups to achieve their goals and objectives.  The additional provision of technology and equipment will facilitate networking, helping to make their projects a success.  If you currently work in partnership with other community groups or are looking to communicate and work with other groups you can apply together for a cluster award.                           

¹ Currently 33% of people in the UK are considered digitally excluded, having no obtainable access to a computer or the internet.  BT's Sustainability Report 2008: Inclusive Society
² Statistic for % of adults who have never used the internet sourced from http://www.citizensonline.org.uk/search/results, 15 August 2008