The West Johnstone Digital Inclusion Project

This Project commenced in April 2002, and between June and September PCs with broadband internet access were installed in 300 households in the West Johnstone SIP area. They were allocated according to a standard banding system, prioritising young people, the unemployed, lone parents, schoolchildren referred by other agencies, older people and people with disabilities or special needs.
The Project began with two principal aims in mind, corresponding to two of the guiding principles of Renfrewshire’s Community Plan - Social Inclusion and Modernising Government:
• “to ensure … that people already at risk of social exclusion are not further disadvantaged by the digital divide”
• to act as “a learning laboratory where residents trial existing electronic services and identify and design additional public services that they would wish to use electronically.”
Outcomes: Evidence of the following improvements for participants:
- Increased skills and confidence in using ICT
- Increased online access to a range of public information and services
- Improved home-school links

Context: The Digital Inclusion Project (DIP) arises from a successful application made by Renfrewshire Council to the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF), a Scottish Executive fund which in 2001 selected twelve “pathfinder” councils to develop projects for innovatory local services with a strong element of community participation and consultation. Renfrewshire’s application was for a package comprising four “Learning Neighbourhoods” projects (community schools, youth strategy and sport, community learning and development and digital inclusion) targeting one or more of four SIP areas (Ferguslie Park, Shortroods, Foxbar and Johnstone West) with an overall aim of “addressing the negative culture” of these neighbourhoods and responding to the needs of people disconnected from mainstream society.

Stakeholders involved: Community learning centre
Renfrewshire Chief Executive’s department
Council’s Modernising and Improvement Group and Modernising
Government Community Planning Group

Key learning points: This case is a good example of how a deprived area can benefit hugely from Digital Inclusion.

Evaluation: Yes

Information sources: https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/1078/1/DIP_main_report_final.pdf

Read the full analysis: https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/1078/1/DIP_main_report_final.pdf