Research from the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) has found that the UK is facing “significant disparities” in the availability of digital support services and lack of awareness among community organisations.

The DPA found that people in local communities often are unaware of the digital inclusive initiatives on offer from libraries, schools and local government, which pose a significant barrier to digital access, and thus need better visibility and coordination of support services.

The study looked at community organisations across rural and costal villages, cities and towns such as Portsmouth, Dundee, Wrexham, and Kidderminster, and saw the DPA request service provisions for devices, digital skills and connectivity from 471 libraries, community centres, local government offices, schools and charities.

The results found huge gulfs in digital support available, and only 50 organisations provided information on digital inclusion initiatives.

The areas with the most severe lack of advertised digital support were Easington and Plymouth, with less access to services, skills training and broadband connectivity, which indicate higher levels of digital exclusion and a lack of resources to help residents.

Following this, the DPA have set out recommendations to address the challenges of digital inclusion, including that schools assess the scale of digital poverty among their students, and that frontline staff in public organisations are aware of the importance of raising awareness. The report also calls for the government to recognise and address gaps in digital support, especially in libraries, and to explore alternative funding strategies through local charities.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the DPA, said: “As our society becomes increasingly reliant on digital platforms for essential services ,such as healthcare, education, and job opportunities, it is imperative that we bridge the gaps ini support. That makes our findings particularly troubling, shining a light on the disparities between regions when it comes to digital access and support.

“Digital poverty affects people’s ability to access critical resources and participate fully in their communities and we must ensure that everyone, regardless of their location, has access to the tools, training, and support hey need to thrive in a digital world. This means empowering local organisations across the regions and creating pathways to digital inclusion.

“The last national Digital Inclusion Strategy was over ten years ago, and our findings unfortunately show the impact of that—a disjointed approach to local digital services that is holding back local communities. We hope these services as a catalyst for a new approach to digital inclusion, stating at national level and giving community organisations clear direction and support in order to provide digital services to the regions.”