Manchester inaugurates new digital inclusion scheme

As lockdown measures have been reinstated, Manchester City Council launched a digital inclusion scheme that provides 400 Chromebooks to locals who need Internet access. The Chromebooks, which will include Internet data paid up until March 2021, will be given out to the most vulnerable of the city’s residents who have no other reliable ways of securing a connection. This includes those who have contacted Manchester’s COVID-19 emergency hub and those who have been referred to the City Council with a special priority such as the elderly, the disabled, or those with low income. ‘The coronavirus pandemic has brought home just how much many of us rely on the Internet for essential tasks, such as household shopping or accessing public services and for keeping in contact with our family and friends. For our more vulnerable residents, the Internet can be a particularly big help, but in many cases, residents do not have access to digital technology, or the experience to make the most of it. This investment, paired with ongoing one-to-one support, will support hundreds of residents to take advantage of all the practical and social benefits the internet can bring,’ highlighted Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure, Councillor Luthfur Rahman.