Sky Sets Up £10 Million Fund to Address “Digital Exclusion”

Sky has set a new goal to tackle digital inequality and provide support to a quarter of a million digitally excluded people through a new £10 million ($13 million) fund.

Dubbed Sky Up, the new program will support people to succeed in a digital age, ensuring that those who are most at risk of being digitally excluded are given access to the right skills, technology and connectivity.

The program will see £10 million ($13 million) invested to level up communities in the markets that Sky operates in and ensure no one is left behind in the digital world.

Sky Up will be targeted directly at supporting the two groups who are most at risk of digital exclusion in our society, ensuring they are not held back by a lack of digital equity: under 25s in low-income areas and over 65s.

Sky Up plans to deliver 100 new Digital Hubs, powered by Sky’s broadband network and partner with local charities to provide free internet access and digital skills support. Sky Up’s first two Digital Hubs will be located in Hackney, East London, and Leeds in Yorkshire and will be delivered in partnership with Badu Sports and Age UK, respectively.

The program will also include Sky Up Tech Grants, targeted to help young people between 16 and 25 who have left the care system to get and stay connected through a £550 ($750) individual grant. The recipients will receive a personal tech device pre-loaded with relevant software, an internet connection through Sky, and access to skills training.

Also, through a major expansion of Sky Up Academy Studios, Sky aims to engage 20,000 students a year in its Academy Studios initiative, which has already inspired 167,000 young people looking to work in the creative industries. The program will be expanded to a new site at Sky Studios Elstree and will be taken on the road to communities across the U.K. through a new e-vehicle mobile studio.

The Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Chris Philp MP, said: “Everyone, no matter their age or background, should be able to enjoy the huge benefits of digital technology—from learning, entertainment, shopping and doing business. I welcome Sky’s ambitious skills program to tackle digital exclusion and help thousands of people up and down the country access the growing benefits and opportunities of going online.”

Nana Badu, CEO and founder of Badu Sports, said: “During lockdown, we all truly understood the gap in digital equality for the most underserved communities. The new Sky Up digital studio in Hackney is an important solution to start closing that gap. We are delighted to be partnering with Sky who are seeking deeper impact when it comes to tackling digital inequality.”

Iain Anderson, CEO of Age UK Leeds, said: “We are very grateful for the support provided by Sky. This is a fantastic opportunity to support many older people to become digitally connected and to develop new skills. By having this facility, we will be better placed to reduce loneliness by enabling older people to remain socially connected and to assist them in accessing a range of services which are increasingly only available online.”