Leaders in Community (LiC) aim to address the social digital exclusion and loneliness being experienced by senior members of our community by purchasing e-devices for them. We will provide a sensitive, bespoke, in-person tech training during a community event which will be planned and led by our intergenerational steering group made up of local older and younger residents. Event attendees will receive their e-tablets upon completing the training that will be provided to them at the event and this will ensure that they have the confidence and skills to use their devices. Last year's campaign addressed the needs that had arisen due to Lockdowns; this new campaign aims to build upon the successes and lessons gained from then, by delivering a more proactive, sustainable service offer. We aim to build an intergenerational, wellbeing support network for project beneficiaries. Our young leaders, produced here at LiC, will follow up from the event by providing an online befriending service.

What we'll deliver:

• We will purchase as many tablets as possible; our target is to raise at least £750 to purchase 15 amazon fire 7 tablets
• Host x1 intergenerational event for tech training and alleviating food poverty
• Existing steering group members will recruit new members to strengthen the current team
• Young people and older residents to plan intergenerational event
• Hold regular video calls with the Mind the Gap group to continue creating an inclusive inter-generational community
• Young people to provide a 'befriending' service for e-tablet recipients

Why it's a great idea:

This campaign will result in a better connected, less isolated intergenerational community whose members will receive training and e-devices that will enable recipients to be able to offer one another on-going support to alleviate loneliness caused by digital exclusion. Despite the prospect of Lockdowns coming to a final end, we know that the issues of loneliness and social, digital exclusion affecting older members of society are more pressing than ever before. We have identified a new group of vulnerable older residents suffering from digital and social exclusion, and this is the group that we will be providing the new e-tablets for. During the planned project event, participants from both this, and last year's campaigns will receive bespoke digital training as well as free nutritious food and ingredients (to help tackle food poverty), as well as the opportunity to get to know LiC's young people and steering group, who we will become project 'befriender' and offer continued support.

Steps to get it done:

• Raise funds for the e-tablets
• Recruit project interns
• Steering Group project planning meetings to take place
• Plan event and secure required event resources
• Deliver event
• Provide x15 e-tablets to older residents suffering from isolation
• Create an e-tablet cohort and provide a virtual 'befriending' service for them

LiC wish to take advantage of the learning, and fantastic network of partners and contacts we have developed since the end of our last campaign. Mind the Gap PHASE II will take into considerations the requests and feedback received from last year's beneficiaries. We know through our consultation work over the past year that there is a growing need to tackle digital exclusion in order to address isolation and loneliness being faced by older people. The previous campaign was in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdowns; We hope that by securing new e-tablets and building our e-tablet cohort during PHASE II we are able to continue our work and build a more sustainable project with the added advantage of being able to deliver a face-to-face community event that will allow for stronger connections between all project participants to be forged.