Charity Digital Skills Report 2021 shows charities are embracing digital

The fifth edition of the Charity Digital Skills Report 2021 explores digital skills and how charities are espousing digital strategy and promoting innovation in the UK. The report flags out positive outcomes in the adoption of digital, particularly in challenging the digital divide during the COVID-19 crisis and providing a long-term digital strategy. That said, it emphasises that digital inclusion is still a concern due to major barriers. While 52% of charities expressed their concerns about excluding certain people or groups, 27% highlighted their need for more support around digital inclusion, with 24% concerned that their target group is not online. ‘Eighty-three percent of charities have adapted their services, pivoting to remote service delivery, responding in an agile way, and developing digital skills and capabilities as a result. But the flip side of this is that digitally excluded service users are now even more isolated and excluded, and this is a key concern for charities,’ said Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology (CAST) Head of Network Delivery Gilly Challinor.