Mid Sussex voluntary action is working alongside Balfour Beatty, Mid Sussex District Council and Citizen Online on a project to reduce digital exclusion in the community.
Rob Rhodes-Kubiak, Volunteering Development Coordinator at Mid Sussex Voluntary Action (MSVA) says much of the project is concerned with supporting people to access the range of advice and guidance that is on offer in communities, including how to get online, how to stay safe when using the internet, and how to obtain laptops and computers for the digitally excluded, either for free or at very low cost.
To achieve this, MSVA are supporting volunteers to reach out into the community – often using local media and community champions, or community cafes and centres such as in Bentswood in Haywards Heath – to make contact. Volunteers then operate as digital buddies and ambassadors, helping people get online, and offering training so they can work and socialise using online communications and social media.
Rob says that it is hoped that once people have been helped by volunteers, and seen the potential benefit of volunteering for their own wellbeing, they will want to volunteer themselves and get involved in other projects. For example, MSVA is leading on a multi-agency food poverty project, supporting local groups such as community fridges and food banks with infrastructure, co-ordination and volunteer management.
For more information about #MidSussexOnline or to become a digital champion please visit https://www.msva.org.uk/digital-inclusion.
Or for more general information about MSVA and volunteering opportunities in the Mid Sussex district, go to the dedicated space on their website here: https://www.msva.org.uk/volunteering.
