On the morning of Tuesday 25 November OPM hosted a breakfast seminar on the role of digital in local participation, with speakers from across local government and the voluntary and community sector sharing their experiences of how they have used digital means to facilitate dialogue with citizens.

2. participation……

3. in the digital age

27. @dmontfort

29. Community council
• Forging closer links with the community through genuine
engagement and communication
• Greater transparency in local democracy and decision making

30. • Five out dated and formal area committees
scrapped
• 10 new, more focussed community forums
established
• Traditional agendas are scrapped in favour of
open debate
• Bureaucracy is stripped back to dramatically
reduce costs

31. Facebook community forums

34. Top tips
• Don’t dodge topics.
• Local authorities – senior
political buy-in is essential
• Joined up approach
• Set realistic goals
• Keep it simple and just be honest

35. Out in the community
WeLoveCarers charity
Brierley Hill

36. What’s else?
• Big Question budget consultation which received
4,500 responses – the biggest in the council’s
history (2012/13)
• Building on the conversation a regular
e-bulletin goes out to more than 60,000
people

37. What’s next?
• Facebook forum for
businesses
• Curry forum

39. We don’t know where we are going … but we are on our way

40. 78% of Londoners aged over 75 are not online and a total of
661,000 people over the age of 55 in London have never used
the internet
But the world is changing fast …
“My children are in a different country and if you don’t know
internet you can’t communicate. They don’t have time to write
letters or anything, telephone is too expensive, Skype is the
best thing” (older person) Mi Community
Setting the Scene

41. o Lack of interest
o Marketing of computers, design of products and jargon
o Fears of making a mistake and perception of being unable
to learn
o Financial cost
o Fears of safety and privacy
o Lack of training and support
o Physical or cognitive impairment
o Personal attitudes and beliefs
– I
Obstacles to getting online

42.  Curiosity and an appetite to learn
 Specific interests and hobbies
 Family support
 Independence and inclusion
 Work Experience and Studying
 Personal attitudes and beliefs
 Training and Support
Drivers for Getting Online

43. Offline and uninterested
• Negative associations • Feeling that it is unnecessary
• Low awareness of online capabilities • Cynical about
tech
Offline but interested
• Fears of low knowledge/mistakes • Perceived financial
constraints • Fear of safety & privacy • Uncertainty of
relevance to lives
Commonly encountered views on digital
inclusion

44. Restricted use but online
• Single-use functionality • Desire for training
• Desire for on-going support • Curiosity
• Sometimes feeling ‘pushed’ online
Expansive use and online
• Positive associations, • Attended good quality training
• High exposure to computers, • Particular online goal
Commonly encountered views on digital
inclusion

45. Transition1 Offline and Uninterested to Offline but Interested
 Curiosity
 Motivational Hook
Transition2 Offline but Interested to ‘Restricted Use but Online
 Finance
 Training introductory, learner led
Transition3Restricted Use but Online to Expansive Use and
Online
More advanced training, older IT trainers, practical uses of online,
shopping, skype and engagement.
Transitions

46.  Prioritising regional and local government funding for adult
learning at local level
 Research designed to deeply understand motivational and
behavioural elements of decisions to use online technologies
 Private companies should incorporate older people as co-
designers and testers of products/on line platforms to ensure
user-friendly operation
 Sales outlets consider having an ‘new or timid user’ period in
quieter midweek working hours where older Londoners can
be shown the pros and cons of different computer systems
Recommendations

47.  Older IT digital champions- greater understanding of
potential barriers and drivers and potentially assisting in co-
design and delivery of support programmes
 Information regarding the ‘Digital by Default’ agenda should
be communicated through non-computerised channel
 Support for completion of online forms needs to be
facilitated at a face-to-face local level
 Local provision of courses specifically for older people
Recommendations

48. “I was quite happy in my own world
paying cheques, posting cards, (but)
in the future, very near future, you can’t
survive without paying on the
internet, can’t contact anyone - it’s out
of the question… I have got to do it or I
will be so isolated, I wouldn’t be able to
pay a cheque” (older person) Mi
Community
.

50. The role of digital
in local
participation
Chris Martin
25 November 2014

51. YouthNet is the UK’s leading digital charity. Every
year, we help 1 million 16-25 year olds across the UK.
Our services are:​
Accessible: Our services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days
a year.
Holistic: Young people’s problems are interconnected. We provide
support on every issue including work, housing, mental health and
relationships. ​
Trusted: We’re experts in talking to young people. 81% of young
people tell us that they trust our support.
For young people, by young people: Our services are co-
designed and delivered
with the help of 300 young volunteers.​
Collaborative: We work with corporate, media and sector partners
to provide a joined up support journey.
Cross platform: We work across young people’s digital
ecosystems covering websites, mobile apps and social media.
Young people’s digital
ecosystem

52. Young people
Staff
Sector &
corporate
partners
Gain
insight
Co-
create
Develop
& test
Evaluate
Build services with young
people

53. The right voice
Oii My Size!
Peabody
Community
Investment Team
Raising awareness of
the treatment of
young women in
Westminster.

54. The right medium
Level Up
Latimer Creative
Media
Discussing sex and
relationships in
Lambeth.

55. The right influencers
The Site
Hannah
Witton
90,664
followers
Stormzy
19,878
followers

58. Translating online support
into offline action
Debbie Moss
Public Affairs and Policy
Manager
debbie.moss@vinspired.com
Follow us @vinspired

59. • vInspired is the largest
youth volunteering
charity in the country
• We are a digital first
platform, providing
opportunities for young
people to take action on
the causes they care
about
Who we are

60. We connect with 32,000
young people online

61. We reach 846,000 through
our website, social media or
email list

62. Local volunteering
• Last financial year our
young people recorded
560,000 hours of
volunteering.
• They felt more connected
with their communities,
more confident about
entering education or
employment and proud of
achieving change in their
communities.

63. From online to offline
Our work is all about moving from online engagement
to offline action:

64. Intensively!
• Apply for Team v
through vInspired.com
• Attend our residential
training
• Build networks of local
volunteers through
social media
• Create a local team
• Make a difference in
your community

65. Independently
• Apply for Cashpoint
through vInspired.com
• Get an award of up to
£500 to make a
difference in their
community on any issue
they feel strongly about
• Access support from
our team
• 74% projects continue
beyond the grant

66. As part of a network
• Sign up to Do
Something via
vinspired.com
• Join the online
community
• Choose the issues you
care about
• Keep up-to-date online
• Take action in your
local community

67. Swing the Vote
• Our biggest current Do
Something campaign
• Young people sign up
online
• Register to vote, learn
more, and recruit
friends online
• Attend events nationally
and locally offline
• Vote – offline!

68. Why this campaign?
• Young people care!
• A survey out this week
shows 40% of 10-20
year olds take part in
social action
• But they don’t feel
connected to
Westminster politics
• Only 44% of 18-24
year-olds voted in 2010,
compared with 68% of
65+s

69. Offline action
Young people attend events with their local MPs

70. Offline action
Our goal: Young people vote, along with their
friend

71. Thank you
Questions?