How the tech sector can help create social good

88% of the public sector show a commitment to social impact, according to our research into business sustainability.

But they shouldn’t face this challenge alone. Maximising value means addressing the challenges faced across the UK, which requires a collaborative effort on a larger scale.

The tech sector can play an invaluable role in making a difference to communities. From tackling the problem of digital exclusion to upskilling the next generation of the workforce, tech companies have the expertise and resource to make a difference.

We need a national call to arms for the private and public sector to come together to build social value. And for the tech sector in particular, answering that call means taking the lead on collaborative efforts that puts tech into the hands of the people that need it.

Closing the digital divide

The digital divide is the gap between people in society who have access to digital technologies and those who do not. Almost 12 million people in the UK are digitally excluded – which means they lack the tools or skills to access digital technologies.

Just recently, the Good Things Foundation published their latest findings on the Minimum Digital Living Standards (MDLS), which outlines the requirements for accessible internet, adequate equipment and digital skills that all people need to function in society.

They found that 45% of households with children are below the MDLS line, meaning a whole generation are growing up with the challenges of the digital divide.

Closing the digital divide is an opportunity for the tech sector to play a crucial role for society.

That’s why we started our Connect More programme. It allows our employees to volunteer at drop-in digital inclusion workshops with partner local authorities, helping to narrow the digital divide by sharing their skills and experience.

It means our employees meet and support people making a fundamental difference to the quality of a digitally excluded person’s life, helping them develop key life skills. After a successful pilot with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the Connect More Programme is now going nationwide to help deliver more digital skills training to people in need.

However, there is still work to be done across the public sector. Across police, health and broader public sector organisations, executives are continuing to face pressure to ensure services are accessible for all users across society.

By sharing expertise and learnings, the tech sector has an invaluable role in closing the digital divide, and helping the government and public sector to support their digitally excluded communities.

Building social value together

73% of organisations note a higher priority for social action compared to a year ago, according to our research into business sustainability.  

The tech sector undoubtedly has a responsibility to build social value into their strategies. But efforts are more effective in collaboration to help reach communities in need.

For example, our own tech donation programme lets organisations donate smartphones and mobile data to digitally excluded people in local communities when they enter a contract with us.  

It works in partnership with Hubbub and Community Calling, who work with The National Databank to data-wipe, clean and rehome unused smartphones. Their support allows us to get technology into the hands of the people that need it.

Public and charity sector organisations are already doing important work creating social value for communities in need. So for the tech sector, it’s not about starting from scratch.

Supporting the next generation

Social good isn’t just about today – it’s about working to build a fairer tomorrow.

Driving social mobility is crucial, and with the tech landscape only becoming more complex, we have a duty to ensure the next generation have fair and equitable access to technology.

That’s at the heart of Virgin Media O2’s apprenticeship scheme, which delivers opportunities for training, retraining, or upskilling employees in local organisations.

Supporting organisations like this helps them continue their work delivering value for their communities. After all, they are already doing the work – we're here to amplify their efforts.

For example, whilst delivering our mobile contract with Lancashire County Council, we were able to work with the organisation to offer a package of measures to promote social value.

Through this partnership, we connected 66 of Lancashire’s libraries to the National Databank scheme, with the library services distributing more than 1,200 free SIM cards to local residents at risk of data poverty.

This ensured that our contract wasn’t just about telecoms provision. It was about collaborating with charities and local services to identify the specific needs of the community and working together to address them.