A school trust in Birmingham offering free mobile data
It's to help families struggling with the cost of living.
As millions of UK households continue to grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, 11.4 million admit they’re only one pay slip away from serious hardship.
Summit Learning Trust, a trust with 8,000 learners across the region, has become the UK’s 1,000th National Databank Hub, providing free mobile data, texts and calls to help those in need in Birmingham stay connected.
It comes as new research reveals that more than a third (36%) of people in the West Midlands are only one pay slip away from serious hardship and are even limiting how they use their mobile phones to cut down on costs.
Around the country, the study also found the cost-of-living crisis is stopping 1 in 10 low-income Brits - those with household incomes of up to £25,000 – from calling or texting their loved ones, while 12% are limiting how they use their mobile data.
A further 70% of those earning less than £25,000 say they don’t know what they’d do if they couldn’t access the internet, with almost 4 in 10 (38%) saying they rely on their phone to get online.
To help people in need get online and stay connected to loved ones, Virgin Media O2 and digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, have opened the UK’s 1000th National Databank Hub, part of the National Digital Inclusion Network. at Summit Learning Trust in Birmingham.
The National Databank, founded by Virgin Media O2 and digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, is now in more places than ever before, and is like a foodbank but provides free mobile data, texts, and calls to people who need it.
Demand for the National Databank continues to increase, with its website already receiving almost double the number of visits in 2023 compared to this time last year, as people search for how they can get help in staying connected as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
Gail Porter, who has experienced homelessness herself, is helping raise awareness of how the National Databank is enabling people in need to access free mobile data.
Gail has just visited one of the National Databank Hubs in Sheffield to speak with some of the individuals directly impacted by data poverty and helped by the National Databank.
SPOKESPERSON COMMENTARY
Gail Porter:
“The National Databank is an incredible initiative for providing free mobile data to people who need it most. It’s a service that would have helped me to get off the streets more quickly when I was homeless. You can’t underestimate the power of being connected and being able to access important services and information on your phone.”
Nicola Green from Virgin Media O2 said:
“We’re proud to support the opening of the UK’s 1000th National Databank Hub at Summit Trust to help people across Birmingham to get online and stay connected to loved ones.
“As proud founders of the National Databank, Virgin Media O2 has committed more than 61 million GB of O2 data to help people get free data, texts and calls so they and their families can access essential websites, study and work from home, and keep in touch with their friends and family.”