The ReachIT Digital Inclusion Project is helping residents of Lancashire through the Building Better Opportunities funding that supports projects in England to tackle poverty and promote social inclusion. It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund.  

URPotential has been marketing and promoting the vast benefits of the Reach IT Project since January 2018 and this has certainly paid off.

Weekly IT training sessions have taken place at URPotential enabling the future Digital Champions to complete the necessary modules on Learn My Way.

In May 2018 the first one of the URPotential participants went through the second phase of the Digital Champion training.  Another two attended the second phase of training in July and there are twenty who are now ready to attend the final part of the training in September.  URPotential has been the first partner to deliver the second phase of the Digital Champion training from their offices.

One of the Digital Champions is now using this rewarding volunteering opportunity and is running successful IT Drop-ins three times per week at other organisation locations and charities across Blackpool and the Fylde coast and another Digital Champion has just started running a drop in once a week at Revoelution in Blackpool.   

URPotential is delivering five IT drop-ins per week (one every day of the week) across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. This is promoting Reach IT and also providing the volunteers with the opportunity to run their sessions and also to recruit future eligible volunteers for the Reach project. This is also providing the residents of Lancashire with IT support making them more confident about using digital technologies, helping to improve their IT and online skills and ultimately support them towards achieving their goals of volunteering and employment.

URPotential has attended the partnership meeting during this quarter and has made links with Disability First and Fylde CAB office providing each other with communication and support.

Going forward and judging by the first few participants’ commitment to their volunteering at the successful IT drop-ins they have been delivering, this project has the potential to be a very sustainable role for the future.

For further details on the ReachIT Project or the daily IT drop-ins please contact Jolene on 01253 344398 or email jolene@urpotential.co.uk