More than 20,000 free SIM cards have been given to people in Greater Manchester who cannot afford mobile data packages
Josh Ogunyemi used to walk more than half an hour just to use the internet. If the 60-year-old jobseeker from Blackley wanted to reply to emails or stay in touch with family and friends on social media, he had to go to his local library.
Josh, who lives alone, can now look for jobs online without the long journey to the library. And after completing a digital skills course linked to the scheme last year, he can also keep track of his finances at home by banking online. It comes as an estimated 700,000 people in Greater Manchester only use the internet in 'a narrow or limited way', with 450,000 residents classified as ‘non-users’. The Greater Manchester Databank is an 'emergency response' to help 'digitally excluded' people who cannot afford mobile data or home broadband.
The digital inclusion officer said that, as well as offering the free SIM cards, the databank scheme supports people who need help using technology too. "We teach and support people so they can do things for themselves," he said. "Good Things Foundation’s National Databank combined offer of devices, data and digital skills support is already helping reduce the digital divide through local and regional databanks like this one in Greater Manchester, giving people an essential digital lifeline against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said: "I’m delighted to celebrate the milestones the Greater Manchester Databank has achieved. Over the last nine months, through a network of local Digital Inclusion Hubs across the region, the databank has provided mobile connectivity to over 20,000 residents facing levels of digital exclusion. This reinforces the scale of this challenge.
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