More than 4,500 people in the Liverpool City Region will receive free tablets, internet access and training as part of a scheme to bridge the UK’s ‘digital divide'.
Lloyds Bank, which is working with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on the scheme, found in 2022 that 28% of people in the region have low digital skills.
Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said the initiative was ‘proper levelling up in action’.
An initial pilot scheme will see 300 unemployed or economically inactive residents receive a tablet, six months of data, and ‘digital inclusion’ group training sessions.
Over the next year, community and voluntary sector workers, local authorities and other members of the Digital Inclusion Network will deliver this support to 4,750 people across the region.
Mayor Rotheram said: ‘The last few years have accelerated the move towards a more digital world and proved how important connectivity and technology will be in all our lives.
‘However, there are still too many people in our area who are excluded for a variety of reasons – and struggle to navigate through the digital world.
‘It’s our duty to properly connect our residents up with this 21st century necessity and schemes like this will help us to directly target those who are most in need of our support.’
