Find out about the BCS and DPA MOU and how together they are working to address the digital divide.
Speakers
Panel Chair:
- Claire Penketh, Senior Press Officer, BCS
Panellists:
- Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of Digital Poverty Alliance
- Cllr. Catherine Gibbons, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children's Services, Families and Lifelong Learning, North Somerset Council
- Freddie Quek, Chair, BCS Digital Divide Specialist Group
Agenda
12:00pm - Introduction
12:05pm - Panel Discussion
12:50pm - Q&A from audience
1:00pm - Finish
Synopsis
Being digital is no longer just an advantage in life; it is a necessity. 1/5 people and almost 1 in 3 children in the UK live in poverty. Alarmingly, the latest Lloyds Bank’s 2023 Consumer Digital Index highlights that 7.5m people still do not have the essential digital skills for the workplace.
It is no longer sufficient for charities and volunteers to solve this complex societal issue alone.
With the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the BCS and Digital Poverty Alliance in September 2023, this is a statement of intent by the two major organisations to facilitate an more aligned approach in the thinking and actions across the UK at all levels so that our initiatives and efforts can be strategic, scalable, sustainable, systemic, holistic, further reaching and faster.
This panel will discuss:
- Purpose and current activities of BCS’s and DPA’s Memorandum of Understanding
- Importance of strategic and long term leadership to provide joined up thinking and action
- What BCS, DPA and government’s role is
- How everyone else can get involved
About the speakers
Claire Penketh, Senior Press Officer, BCS
Claire is a former broadcast journalist, who mostly worked for BBC World Service radio. A senior communications strategist and content producer at BCS, her varied role includes writing press releases and articles, along with producing webinars and short videos, and amplifying them through social media.
Above and beyond a solid understanding of trends in technology, she specialises in Green IT and tech careers, with a strong emphasis on apprenticeships.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of Digital Poverty Alliance
Elizabeth has over fifteen years’ experience working within the not for profit sector. Prior to joining the DPA, she was Chief Executive of the British Interplanetary Society, a learned society with a global membership focusing on space exploration. She holds a MSc in Corporate Communication and Public Affairs.
Elizabeth has a strong commitment to empowering communities by giving them access to the tools and technologies that they need to develop and grow. She also holds trusteeships in wildlife and cultural charities.
Cllr. Catherine Gibbons, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children's Services, Families and Lifelong Learning, North Somerset Council
Catherine is Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children’s Services, Families and Life Long Learning at North Somerset Council.
Freddie Quek, Chair, BCS Digital Divide Specialist Group
Freddie is a highly experienced and multiple award-winning global technology leader who has worked in Singapore, US and UK across many industry sectors. He started the #joiningthedots initiative joining up 14 UK tech leaders communities to address #digitalinclusion, became special advisor and Community Board member of the Digital Poverty Alliance and established the BCS Digital Divide Specialist Group.
He serves on the boards at University of Bristol, BCS Influence Board and eLife, and a member of the Technology Advisory Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He co-founded TechLinkUkraine to help displaced Ukrainian tech professionals.
Freddie is a Fellow of BCS and judge for the UK IT Industry and Women in IT awards.
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This event is brought to you by: BCS Digital Divide specialist group
