Share
Sunderland City Council continues to lead the way among UK local authorities in promoting digital technology to tackle social exclusion.
In 2007, Sunderland won DCLG’s Digital Challenge competition and £3m to deliver its plans for a digitally-enabled community to benefit some of the most vulnerable and socially-excluded people in the area.
A year later, it was reported to be Britain’s most connected city, with 66% of households using broadband.
Now they done it again - winning the first prize of £10m in training vouchers in a competition organised by Microsoft.
Microsoft’s Britain Works challenge was intended to find councils demonstrating the most use of technology to deliver programmes to address unemployment and increase availability of digital skills in their local community.
Sunderland’s cabinet member for resources, Dave Allan said it was “testament to the hard work going on across the city to use technology to improve people’s lives and life opportunities”.
Helen Gilroy, Microsoft UK’s Head of Local and Regional Government said: “Sunderland was a clear winner for us because its comprehensive understanding of its locale mployment challenges and has a very clear and strategic plan to tackle these issues.”
The bid was delivered in partnership with the Local Strategic Partnership, Sunderland Software City, Sunderland University, City of Sunderland College, Unison, Job Linkage and Job Centre Plus.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment.
From Digital Local Government
LGCplus editor Robin Latchem looks at how local government is embracing digital technology and social media.
Readers' comments (1)
Martin Cantor | 9-Feb-2010 11:55 am
Well done Sunderland - again. Truly well deserved, as are Robin's plaudits. Disappointed though that in reporting Sunderland's success in getting Gold in the Britain Works Challenge, Robin doesn't report that Barnsley got Silver, Milton Keynes got Bronze, and Essex, Glasgow, Stoke and Torfaen were highly commended. But then maybe I'm biased, being from Barnsley.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Editor's reply
Mea culpa Martin - and sorry to Barnsley, Milton Keynes and the rest. And definitely nothing against South Yorkshire - ironically, I wrote the blog before rushing off to spend a delightful weekend in the Darton area of the town.