Improving lives through digital inclusion

Over the past year, being able to get online – whether to communicate with family and friends, to access info or entertainment or to do a supermarket order – has been more important than ever before.

At SBHA we’re determined to do what we can to help, and over the past year we have distributed 190 iPads and Chromebooks to Tenants through the Connecting Scotland programme, to help tackle digital exclusion.

As well as the devices we have delivered MiFi routers where connectivity has been an issue, and our Digital Champions have offered support where needed to help people use their new devices.

One of our Digital Champions, Tommy Williamson, comments: “It’s been a great project to be involved in. Especially when I explain a bit about all the things that people could potentially do. We’ve had lots of great feedback. I helped one Tenant who hadn’t seen or spoken to his daughter for some time; she was living down South. He was able to get in touch with her again via Facebook, and met his granddaughter for the first time on a videocall. I was really pleased to have been able to help with that.”

While the previous wave of support was aimed at digitally-excluded Tenants who were shielding, our more recent wave has offered help to young families. One Tenant from Selkirk who recently received a Chromebook told us that he was getting on very well with it, and it had made ordering his daughter’s school meals much easier. Another Tenant from Peebles said that he was really enjoying having the device, and was using it every day with his son.

Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government programme set up in response to coronavirus with the aim of getting digitally excluded households online.
#ConnectingScotland
For more on Connecting Scotland, go to https://connecting.scot/