In a significant initiative aimed at mitigating digital exclusion, Europe’s leading standalone telecom infrastructure supplier, Cellnex, is joining forces with the charitable organization Forever Manchester. Two innovative funds, known as the Cellnex Digital Inclusion Funds, are being rolled out in Manchester, focusing on nurturing digital inclusion projects and activities across the city.
These funds demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the core elements of the Greater Manchester Digital Inclusion Strategy. Imported, they embrace empowering communities and locations for improved digital accessibility, boosting trust, expertise, and motivation for digital adoption, and strategizing affordability, accessibility, and connectivity.
Project possibilities, backed by these funds, are diverse. They may range from enhancing online access for job seekers to distributing refurbished computers within communities and conducting informative sessions to bolster digital skills.
Clare Cranton, the Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance at Cellnex UK, remarked, “Digital inclusion is crucial for creating an equality-driven society where everyone has the capacity to prosper in our ever-connected global ecosystem.” Emphasizing the bottoms-up approach, she added, “Local groups recognize the best methodologies for fostering digital inclusion within their communities. We anticipate that the Digital Inclusion Fund will empower these communities to bankroll projects that cater to promote skill development and enlarge the scope of opportunities well into the future.”
The first fund is accessible to local resident groups or smaller community organizations with an accumulated income not exceeding £2,000. Successful applicants could secure grants of up to £500. In contrast, the second fund caters to larger community organizations with an annual combined income below £150,000, offering awards of up to £5,000.
Interested parties have until August 18, 2023, to apply, while project feasibility evaluation results are expected by late October. The Cellnex and Forever Manchester venture is not an isolated case of the telecom giant’s altruistic initiatives. Since 2021, Cellnex has collaborated with UK Community Foundations, resulting in several successful projects, from awarding £18,000 to digitally disconnected inhabitants in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, to pitching in £9,000 to enable rural community centers in Humberside to become more digitally inclusive, and helping senior citizens in Wales acquire digital skills.
For a more in-depth understanding of Greater Manchester and North UK’s digital transformation, consider joining the telecommunications industry’s discussion at the 2023 Connected North conference. Other recent news includes Cisco launching cybersecurity skills programs in Greater Manchester and GoFibre commencing fiber build in rural Northumberland. Connected North 2023 is another must-watch event.
