Vodafone

We live in an increasingly online world. The internet has changed how we work, access services, connect with friends and family, and generally live our lives. Yet still today five million people over 55 are not online, and risk becoming more lonely, isolated, and cut off from modern life.   ​

Age UK’s Digital Champions Programme will support 120,000 older people to build their skills and confidence to get online.

Whether it's learning how to video-call family overseas, order shopping or apply for benefits, the Digital Champions Programme will ensure that older people are more connected, less lonely, and can access the help and services they need.​

To help us deliver this vital programme, Vodafone have donated 5,000 20GB SIM cards which are playing a vital role in improving older peoples’ digital skills and confidence across the country.

One of the barriers to getting online can be access.

Many older people don’t have the connectivity or the equipment to get online and are reluctant to invest until they’ve had a go. So, as part of Age UK’s Digital Champion programme, we offer older people the opportunity to borrow a tablet for around 6 weeks, alongside support from our volunteer Digital Champions. This allows the older person to try the technology in their own time, with support, and see if they want to purchase a tablet in the future.

The gifted SIMs from Vodafone enables Age UK to offer free connectivity with our tablet loan scheme, removing another barrier for many older people and ensuring they don’t need to have an existing Wi-Fi connection to benefit from the programme.

This generous gift in kind helps improve the sustainability of our Digital Champions programme and helps us to support thousands of older people to improve their digital skills and confidence.

To find out about working together give our Corporate Partnerships team a call on 020 303 31356 or email us at corporate@ageuk.org.uk.