Our commitment is to elevate digital inclusion and eradicate digital poverty. We recognise that this endeavour requires a collective effort beyond any single expert, organisation, government, or community. Hence, we are proud to announce that we are now an active member of the FutureDotNow coalition and will align our tangible and intangible resources and objectives with the alliance to eradicate digital inclusion and data poverty from the UK.

The pandemic has underscored the urgency of our mission, signalling that traditional methods may no longer suffice during technology adoption maturity and beyond.

Future Dot Now is a coalition of forward-thinking organisations dedicated to enhancing essential digital skills in the UK’s workforce. There are currently 133 members in the coalition, including esteemed organisations such as Good Things Foundation, PwC, and Lloyds Banking Group.

We are honoured to be a part of this dynamic coalition.

Fostering a digitally-enabled culture is pivotal to our nation’s success. As members of the Future Dot Now coalition, we aim to contribute valuable insights while benefiting from the expertise of other esteemed organisations within the coalition.

(Future Dot Now)

About IFB Gaming

IFB, an acronym for International Friends Bureau, is a hybrid bridge and connector research and learning organisation focused on the intersection of play, lifelong learning and digital exclusion.

Our Empowering Futures initiative is an impact-driven initiative designed to tackle digital exclusion, data poverty, and accessibility challenges faced by underserved communities. The programme provides free SIM cards, digital skills training, and connectivity solutions to low-income individuals, refugees, and those without recourse to public funds.

What Membership in the Coalition Means to IFB Gaming

Given our unique positioning as a bridge research and learning organisation researching in English communities, affiliation with the coalition aligns with our mission in several ways:

1. Support from Digital Inclusion Leaders: We anticipate garnering support from prominent individuals and organisations actively engaged in digital inclusion initiatives in England and Wales.
2. Knowledge Exchange: Participating in the coalition allows us to share our insights and gain fresh perspectives and expertise specifically tailored to digital inclusion.
3. Advocating Gamification: We intend to advocate for the benefits of gamification and emerging trends within the coalition.
4. Awareness Initiatives: We aim to create awareness programs highlighting the myriad applications available to Third Sector organisations and community groups.
5. Strategic Partnerships: Collaborative efforts within the coalition will contribute to strengthening the UK’s position through strategic partnerships within the Commonwealth.
6. Promotion of Digital Skills Framework: We are committed to promoting the Essential Digital Skills Framework within BAME communities, starting from the grassroots level.
7. Community Engagement: We will facilitate volunteering opportunities within the community and offer free or affordable workplace digital training and products to coalition members.

The Essential Digital Skills (EDS) Framework, outlined above, delineates five key skills and provides examples of tasks that individuals should master to demonstrate competence in each skill. Notably, the fifth skill—being safe, legal, and confident online—is interwoven across the other four.

The pandemic has accentuated existing gaps and exposed new challenges. It is evident that while there are numerous efforts underway in UK communities aimed at fostering a prosperous, connected, equitable, and sustainable digital economy, much of this work operates in isolation, often lacking proper documentation and alignment with systemic structures.

We firmly believe that a robust, comprehensive, and cyclical strategy is now imperative, one that is firmly grounded in strategic partnerships and driven from the grassroots and the policy (bottom-up-top-down), with a focus on empowering individuals and communities.

According to the City of London News Room, the UK is leading the digital revolution, with technology, media, and creative businesses outpacing the broader economy in terms of growth. Nevertheless, the rapid pace of change is leaving a significant portion of our population behind:

• 53% of UK employees lack the essential digital skills necessary for the workplace.
• 4.1 million adults in the UK remain ‘offline,’ with 75% indicating no motivation to change.
• 11.3 million UK adults still lack the fundamental skills needed to access the internet, communicate effectively, and solve problems online.

The Future Dot Now coalition has made the following commitments, and we encourage other organisations to join us in this endeavour. Only through collective action can we develop fluid, interconnected, and sustainable solutions that are equal to the tasks and challenges that lie ahead.