Do you work with Dorset residents who are being left behind in this digital world? We could help them.
Our Digital Doorway scheme gives devices to people who struggle to get online, using funding we have raised from recycling Dorset Council laptops and computers.
This funding has been secured for 3 years and will mean we can donate around 500 tablets and laptops to people who are finding it difficult to get online.
People who receive devices through Digital Doorway can also ask for support with digital skills and pre-paid mobile data to get online if needed.
Digital exclusion in Dorset
In Dorset, 11% of residents are completely offline and another 20% lack all the essential digital skills needed to get online. This means nearly a third of our residents are excluded from the digital world in some way.
The Digital Doorway device donation scheme is one way of reducing those numbers and helping more people become digitally included.
Digital exclusion means anyone who cannot easily access everything they need online. This could be for financial reasons or because they lack the skills and confidence needed.
How to access Digital Doorway
To be considered for Digital Doorway, you must be referred by a professional, such as a:
- social worker
- GP
- Citizens Advice officer
- NHS support worker
- teacher
- someone who supports you in the voluntary sector
Ask them to visit this webpage and submit an application on your behalf.
Refer someone to Digital Doorway
If you work for an organisation that helps residents in the Dorset Council area, you can refer them to Digital Doorway. Before making the referral, please check with the person you are referring that they both need and would like a device. During the referral, please complete the form with the applicant, so you can capture their full details and preferences and you can ensure the information provided is current.
The person you are referring must:
- live in the Dorset Council area
- be aged 18 or over
- be digitally excluded through a lack of skills or confidence
- be digitally excluded because they cannot afford a device
- have not received a Digital Doorway device in the previous 2 years