Connection is the missing link in digital inclusion

Digital Inclusion Is No Longer Optional: Why Lincolnshire Needs a Stronger Digital Champions Network  

Digital exclusion is often described as a technology issue. In reality, it is a people issue. 

Across Lincolnshire, more services than ever are moving online. From booking GP appointments and accessing NHS services to managing council services, parking, banking and shopping, digital access has become part of everyday life. Yet for many residents, particularly older people, vulnerable adults and those experiencing financial hardship, a digital-first society can create new barriers to essential support rather than opening up new opportunities. 

This insight matters because digital exclusion is not only preventing people from using technology; it is increasingly shaping how easily they can access health, care and community support. The project is therefore not just mapping digital help across Lincolnshire, but identifying where trusted local relationships can be strengthened so residents are not left to navigate digital services alone. 

This challenge sits at the heart of LVET’s Digital Champions Project, a countywide initiative funded by the Integrated Care Board that is exploring not only where digital support already exists, but where significant gaps remain. The project is building a clearer picture of Lincolnshire’s digital inclusion landscape while creating stronger connections between organisations, volunteers and communities already working to tackle exclusion.  

Early engagement has shown that formal Digital Champions are less common than expected. Much of the support already taking place is informal, delivered by staff and volunteers through wider roles in libraries, housing, health, care and community settings. This suggests that Lincolnshire may already have a significant base of digital support, but it is fragmented, inconsistently named and not yet connected through a shared network. 

The Hidden Risk of Digital Exclusion 

The conversation around digital inclusion is often focused on devices and internet access. Those are important factors, but they are only part of the story. 

Through outreach across Lincolnshire, a recurring theme has emerged: access to devices and connectivity is only one part of the challenge. Confidence remains one of the greatest barriers to digital engagement. Many residents have access to technology but lack the skills, knowledge or reassurance needed to use it effectively. Fear of scams, concerns about online safety and uncertainty around digital tools continue to prevent people from engaging with services that are increasingly becoming digital by default. 

For older residents in particular, this can contribute to isolation and reduced independence. Meanwhile, people experiencing digital poverty may be unaware of national support schemes that can provide access to devices, connectivity and data. Without intervention, these gaps risk widening existing inequalities.  

A key question for the next phase is how residents themselves currently find help when they struggle with an app, online form, phone or digital service. Understanding whether people turn to family, friends, community groups, libraries, professionals or no one at all will help the network focus on the places where support is most trusted and most needed. 

Why Digital Champions Matter 

One of the clearest insights from the project is that digital inclusion works best when support is offered through trusted local relationships, by people and organisations that residents already know and feel comfortable approaching. 

Across the county, organisations from the voluntary, health, housing and community organisations are already supporting residents with digital skills. Some employ dedicated Digital Champions. Others rely on trained volunteers or staff who embed digital support within wider services. What has often been missing, however, is a mechanism to bring these people together, share knowledge and learn from one another.  

The Digital Champions Project is seeking to address this by identifying existing Digital Champions, mapping provision, highlighting geographical gaps and encouraging the creation of new Digital Champion roles across Lincolnshire. 

The aim is not simply to increase numbers. It is to create a sustainable network capable of strengthening digital confidence within communities over the long term. 

A New Model of Collaboration 

Perhaps the most exciting development is the creation of a Lincolnshire Digital Champions Network. 

Beginning with bi-monthly meetings, organisations from different sectors will have the opportunity to come together, discuss local challenges, share resources and identify opportunities for collaboration. For many participants, this will be the first opportunity to engage in cross-sector conversations specifically focused on digital inclusion.  

This matters because digital exclusion does not exist in isolation. 

Health organisations may encounter residents struggling to access the NHS App. Community groups may see people unable to complete online forms. Housing providers may support tenants who cannot access digital services. Libraries may offer digital support sessions. While each organisation addresses part of the challenge, meaningful progress requires a more connected approach.  

The emerging network has the potential to create exactly that. 

Building Organisational Resilience 

From an LVET perspective, the project demonstrates how digital inclusion connects directly to broader sector resilience. 

A shared resource space is also being developed to give organisations and Digital Champions one place to access guidance, updates, signposting information and examples of good practice. This will help reduce duplication and make it easier for staff and volunteers to provide consistent support on issues such as online safety, scams awareness, digital confidence, NHS App use and access to data or devices. 

When organisations have access to shared knowledge, resources and partnerships, they become better equipped to support their communities. When staff and volunteers have confidence in signposting opportunities such as the National Digital Inclusion Network, National Databank or local digital support offers, residents can access help more quickly and effectively.  

The planned creation of a shared Digital Champions resource hub, hosted through LVET, will further strengthen this approach by providing a central point for information, tools and guidance.  

In many ways, the project is creating a support infrastructure for those who support others. 

The next phase will focus on moving from discovery into delivery: launching the Lincolnshire Digital Champions Network, holding the first shared learning session, supporting organisations to identify potential champions and working towards the ambition of recruiting and supporting at least 50 Digital Champions across Lincolnshire by January 2027. 

What Success Could Look Like 

The long-term success of the project will not simply be measured by the number of meetings held or resources shared. 

Success would mean a sustainable Digital Champions Network that continues beyond the initial funding period. It would mean stronger relationships between organisations that might otherwise never have connected. It would mean more staff and volunteers feeling confident enough to become Digital Champions themselves. Most importantly, it would mean more residents gaining the confidence, skills and support needed to participate fully in modern life.  

Digital inclusion is often viewed as a technical challenge. The experience of Lincolnshire’s Digital Champions Project suggests something different. 

The real solution may not be technology at all. 

It may be connection. 

By bringing together organisations, sharing knowledge and empowering local champions, Lincolnshire is creating the foundations for a more digitally confident and inclusive future, one conversation, one connection and one Digital Champion at a time.  

Do you have a digital champion in your organisation? Let us know and email andrea andrea.briggs@lvet.org.