Celebrating our hubs during Refugee Week
In celebration of Refugee Week, we want to share some good practice and success stories from hubs that support asylum seekers and refugees to access the digital world.
Why is this important?
For new arrivals to the UK who are fleeing wars, persecution and other major struggles, being connected to the internet makes a huge difference to both their ability to stay in touch with loved ones that may be scattered around the world, and to access essential services and other aspects of life in the UK. This means, having access to a device, connectivity and the skills needed to navigate the online world safely.
The Red Cross have written some excellent reports highlighting the impact of digital exclusion on asylum seekers in accessing healthcare, and the needs of refugee women.
Stories from the network
Many hubs in the National Digital Inclusion Network work tirelessly to support refugees and asylum seekers through initiatives like the National Databank and Learn My Way so that they can access digital health services, open doors to learning and work, and stay connected with their loved ones.
Here are some really moving stories highlighting the impact of this support.
Good Practice in Digital Skills for New Arrivals
We’ve worked with our ambassador hubs to create these guides in supporting people to use our free basic digital skills platform to taking their first steps online and overcome language barriers whilst doing so.
We’ve also got a guide on how you can use the Chrome translate function to translate Learn My Way into a number of languages.
Free Mobile Data from the National Databank
The National Databank has been a lifeline for many asylum seekers and refugees. You can read more about this offer and how it works here.
Events for our network
We have some great events that will be useful to hubs that support refugees and asylum seekers, including:
- Helping people to access free mobile data through the National Databank
- Supporting asylum seekers and refugees to access the digital world
- Combining English and basic digital skills learning
You can register for space or watch catch ups of past events here.
Related news
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24/07/2023House of Lords visit digital inclusion hub Skills Enterprise
Members of the House of Lords have seen first-hand the impact of hyperlocal, digital inclusion support. Good Things' Advocacy Manager, Hannah Whelan, discusses how to create that impact at scale - and meaningfully fix the digital divide across the country.
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14/12/2022Amer's story: settling into life in the UK with free data and devices
From an asylum seeker with no internet access to becoming a volunteer at Job4Me, access to free data, a device, and digital skills has helped Amer kickstart his life in the UK.
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16/08/2023England’s libraries play a vital role in wider digital inclusion networks
New research has found libraries in England play a vital role in tackling digital exclusion – both as an individual service offer and – more importantly – as part of a wider ecosystem of digital inclusion support in communities.