News from Essex County Council, and great to see the wonderful facility at St Peter's Church, the Daily Bread Cafe, at the forefront again
Essex County Council is establishing four community hubs in Brentwood to ensure no resident is excluded from digital opportunities.
The hubs will offer support with digital devices and skills using £10,000 of Local Community Funding from Brentwood Borough Council.
St Peter’s Church is the first site to expand its resident support offer at the Daily Bread Café, where residents can access help and advice from local partners.
Three further sites will add digital support to their resident offer over the coming months. These are Maple Hall, Brentwood Theatre and Ingatestone Library.
The new hubs form part of the council’s Digital Essex team’s commitment to ensure no resident is left out of opportunities due to a lack of connectivity, equipment or skills.
Digital Essex has helped the new hubs join the Good Things Foundation’s National Digital Inclusion Network. This will enable them to provide free pre-loaded SIM cards through the National Databank.
The hubs will also be able to provide digital skills training using Learn My Way, a free online platform helping people improve their digital literacy.
The platform delivers bite-sized modules suitable for all abilities on topics such as:
- creating an email account
- video calls
- social media
- online safety and scam awareness
The hubs will also utilise a pilot digital triaging tool which the council plans to roll out in June.
Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Levelling Up, Communities and Business Engagement, said “Having digital awareness is essential in today’s society and it’s easy to take for granted.
“It was therefore fantastic to visit St Peter’s Church and see first-hand the difference these digital hubs will make to ensure no one gets left behind.
‘’These new hubs can help residents access vital support such as the NHS app and council services, as well as help with day-to-day tasks.
“I encourage residents that might need help getting online to visit the Daily Bread Café at St Peter’s Church and make the most of the support.”
