Introducing our Device Loan Scheme
From applying for a job to opening a bank account, accessing healthcare or keeping in touch with family, so much of everyday life now happens online.
But what happens when you do not have the skills, confidence or equipment to participate in an increasingly digital world?
For many refugees and people seeking asylum, digital exclusion creates yet another barrier to rebuilding their lives in the UK.
That’s why we are working to change that through Digital Bridges, our digital inclusion programme generously supported by the Virgin Money Foundation.
Thanks to the Foundation's support, we are helping people develop practical digital skills, access essential online services and become more confident and independent in their everyday lives.
Digital skills for everyday life
Digital inclusion is about much more than knowing how to use a computer.
Imagine arriving in a new country and being expected to navigate unfamiliar systems, often in another language, where so many essential services are available primarily online.
Something as straightforward as opening a bank account, creating an email address or completing an online form can become a significant challenge.
Through Digital Bridges, we provide practical, individual support to help people overcome these barriers.
This includes helping people to:
Access essential services: Setting up email accounts, opening bank accounts, completing online forms and navigating digital services.
Prepare for employment: Creating and updating CVs, searching for jobs, completing online applications and developing the digital skills needed in today's workplace.
Build confidence online: Learning to use smartphones, laptops and everyday digital tools more independently.
Stay safe: Recognising online scams, identifying suspicious messages, protecting personal information and understanding how to use digital services safely.
Connect with opportunities: Accessing online learning, education, volunteering opportunities and other resources that support people's development.
Our approach is practical and shaped around what each person needs. For some, it might be their first experience using a computer. Others may already have digital skills but need help understanding how particular systems work in the UK.
As more services move online, digital skills are increasingly essential for participating fully in society. Without access to technology or the confidence to use it, people can find themselves excluded from opportunities that others take for granted.
A person might have the experience and qualifications needed for a job but struggle to complete an online application. Someone may need a bank account to manage their finances but find the digital process difficult to navigate.
There are also risks. People who are unfamiliar with UK systems or online security can be particularly vulnerable to scams and fraudulent messages.
Through Digital Bridges, we want to make sure that technology becomes a source of opportunity rather than another obstacle.
This work also connects closely with our wider Skillsmatch programme, helping people prepare for education, volunteering and employment.
Giving laptops and smartphones a second life
Alongside developing digital skills, we have also been looking at how to make technology itself more accessible.
Following our move from our former premises earlier this year, we identified several laptops and smartphones that were still in good working condition.
Rather than letting perfectly usable equipment go to waste, we saw an opportunity.
With support from our IT provider, Rocksalt, and our fantastic volunteers, the devices have been securely wiped and prepared for reuse.
We have now introduced a Device Loan Scheme, allowing people supported by WERS to borrow equipment, normally for up to three months, where there is a clear need.
For example, someone starting a college or university course may need a laptop to complete assignments. Someone attending training may need regular access to online materials. A family may need a device to support their children's education.
Providing access to equipment alongside practical digital skills support means we can help address both sides of digital exclusion.
It is also a good example of how existing resources can be put to better use, reducing waste while creating opportunities for others.
Please get in touch with us via info@wers.org.uk if you are a client in a need of a device or an organisation who supports a client in a need of one.
We are incredibly grateful to the Virgin Money Foundation for investing in Digital Bridges and recognising the importance of digital inclusion for refugees and people seeking asylum.
The Foundation's support is helping WERS address an increasingly important challenge: making sure that people are not left behind as more of our everyday lives move online.