Four ways to tackle digital inequality in Greater Manchester
Guest blog by Virgin Media O2 Business #StrongerTechEconomies #Manchester
33% of people in Manchester, or one in three, experience some form of digital exclusion.
As tech advances, many are being left behind.
Which is a problem. Because the benefits of digital change will only be a true success if they’re accessible to everyone.
That’s why we’ve been working closely with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and created four commitments to the people of Manchester.
Four joint goals designed to build a brighter, digitally inclusive future for everyone.
1) Improving digital skills
Creating skills and providing the best possible employment for citizens topped the GMCA’s strategic priority list post-Covid.
Hardly surprising, since these are often seen as the two most essential conditions for levelling up society and promoting equal opportunities.
That’s why, working with GMCA, we:
Created at least 50 new apprenticeships
Funded four digital skills programmes with the Prince’s Trust and GMCA
Met a local employment target of 50%
2) Tackling homelessness
“While the city centre’s skyline is filled with cranes, our streets should not be crowded with people who have no roof over their head. Rough sleeping and homelessness are not inevitable consequences of a 21st century economy.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
GMCA is absolutely determined to end homelessness and support everyone they can living on the streets.
So we’re doing all we can to help the team with homelessness support and by making sure shelters and community centres have free and enhanced connectivity.
More specifically, we’ve:
Donated £100,000 to the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity since 2020 to support the A Bed Every Night programme
Set up free connectivity for five years to a mixture of homeless shelters, charities and community centres
3) Empowering people
Empowering people starts with making sure everyone – whatever age, location or situation – benefits from digital progress.
Yet, at the moment, people living in 25% of Manchester neighbourhoods are at a very high risk of being digitally excluded. And that means they don’t see the benefits digital progress brings.
That’s why we’ve:
Given 567 school children digital kit bundles to support digital inclusion and home working
Provided seven schools with professional consultancy to improve their digital services
4) Helping the community
Only by getting communities onside can we make a real difference.
That’s why, with the GMCA, we’ve been working closely with public, private and voluntary sectors to create new initiatives.
We’ve also been investing in building better shared services, improving the quality of life for the people of Manchester yet delivering real value for money.
So far, with the GMCA, we’ve:
Provided 5,000 employee volunteering hours over the next five years to bolster community learning
Supplied two 10Gb managed internet circuits to GM contracting authorities in a major boost to public sector collaboration
There’s plenty more work to do
Of course, the ultimate goal of our work with GMCA is to help Greater Manchester deliver on its bold ambition to become a world class digital city.
And while better connectivity is crucial to delivering on this ambition, it’s never solely been about the tech.
It’s also about investing in people through a range of bold social initiatives. About giving people the skills and resources they need to get online and confidently access critical services.
That’s something we hope we’ve been able to help the GMCA with over the years.
And with the right strategy and investment in place, we hope we can carry on doing so for years to come.
Great Manchester Impact Day: Celebrating Tech and Digital Innovation
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Matt is leading techUK’s work with members and stakeholders across the UK to increase the Local Digital Capital across the UK’s nation and regions, build communities and to ensure that digital technology plays a key part the post-COVID-19 levelling-up recovery.
Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked for several national education charities and membership bodies to develop their regional partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and other stakeholders. He’s also worked with local authority leaders and other stakeholders to engage communities, work with elected members and improve public services.
He holds a BA in Politics from the University of York and an MA in International Relations from the University of Leeds. Away from work he’s a keen football fan and golfer.
If you’d like to find out more about our work in the nations and regions please get in touch with Matt:
Programme Manager, SME Engagement and Nations & Regions, techUK
Stephanie Barr
Programme Manager, SME Engagement and Nations & Regions, techUK
Stephanie is the Programme Manager for SME Engagement and Nations & Regions at techUK.
Working across the two programmes, Stephanie develops activities to support the growth and development of tech SMEs and engages with members and stakeholders more broadly to help strengthen regional tech economies.
Prior to joining techUK, Stephanie worked for a political events company and as a Senior Caseworker for an MP. She holds an MA (HONS) in Politics from the University of Glasgow.
Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys travelling, climbing and playing squash.
Programme Manager – Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Luke Newcombe
Programme Manager – Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Luke joined techUK in September 2025 as a Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions.
Luke works closely with members and stakeholders across industry and government at local, regional and national levels to support collaboration, drive innovation and strengthen tech-enabled public services. His work supports the development of strong local and regional tech economies by helping organisations to engage with public sector challenges, explore emerging technologies and build impactful partnerships.
Prior to joining techUK, Luke worked at Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s export development agency. He began by advising SMEs on export strategy to the UK and later focused on connecting Irish businesses with multinational organisations to foster strategic partnerships, drive international growth and support economic development.
Luke holds an MSc in Political Economy from the University of Amsterdam and a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
