ORGANISATIONS working with communities across Basingstoke and Deane have joined forces to make sure people in the borough do not get left behind as more services go online.

A Basingstoke Area Strategic Partnership event – Digital access to public services: making sure everyone’s included – looked at ways to help residents who are struggling to use the internet and other digital technologies, in order to make their lives easier.

The partnership brings together a range of public organisations such as the borough council, health and emergency services and housing associations as well as schools and colleges, voluntary groups and the business community.

The aim of the event, which was hosted at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s civic offices, was to look at the needs in the local community, decide how to strengthen and develop digital inclusion initiatives already underway and identify what new projects are needed.

Those attending the event heard from the director of programme and partnerships of Go ON UK, Sarah Bridges, who spoke about national initiatives to help develop digital skills for people who don’t use computers.

Matt Smith spoke about the creation of TechStart in Aldershot.

The project aims to give more people access to computers by recycling ones no longer needed by schools, colleges and businesses, as well as providing IT training and developing skills.

Chair of the Basingstoke Area Strategic Partnership Rebecca Kennelly, who is also the chief executive of Basingstoke Voluntary Action, said: “We want to work together to make sure that no one in our communities is being left behind in a world where people are doing more and more things online, from accessing local services and doing their shopping to managing their health and making friends.

“The idea of the event was to coordinate this much better, reducing duplication and finding ways to address the gaps in what is being provided.

“I’m really excited to see the forming of an action group to take the joint development of digital inclusion activities in the borough forward as a result of the event.”