13 March 2007
City of London Corporation congratulates all Digital Challenge
finalists - and Sunderland as winner
The City of London Corporation today (Tuesday) welcomed the
decision to select Sunderland as the winner of the Communities and
Local Government’s City-backed Digital Challenge and applauded the
finalists’ decision to collaborate as the "DC10" to push forward
the digital inclusion agenda.
Sunderland will receive £3.5m overall to deliver its plans for a
digitally enabled community benefiting some of the vulnerable and
socially excluded in the area.
The Digital Challenge accolade recognises Sunderland as an
example of how ICT technologies can be used to tackle social
exclusion. Sunderland’s plans include 500 community groups and
include schemes to use 3G phones to link carers and cared-for to a
24-hour contact centre to enable the centre to take over when
carers take some time off.
The City of London Corporation was selected in December 2005 as
the local authority to back this project and is delighted to see
the initial phase of this process come to a successful and positive
conclusion.
The success of the initiative is such that the 10 competition
finalists revealed yesterday the creation of the "DC10", a
collaboration and commitment to driving ICT as an enabler for
social inclusion.
The Digital Challenge, a nationwide initiative which saw cities,
towns and regions outline their visions for a digitally enabled
society designed to better meet the needs of local communities and
citizens, has significantly raised the digital inclusion agenda in
the last year. The use of digital technologies to improve people’s
lives is set to flourish further with the CLG providing funding to
support the DC10.
"Digital Inclusion is about more than new technologies. It is an
opportunity to solve problems and improve the lives of people in
our communities," said Angela Smith MP, Minister for eGovernment.
"As the winner of the Digital Challenge, Sunderland should be seen
as an example of how the social and digital divide can be bridged
and serve as a blue print for local partnerships for the
future."
Philip Willoughby, Finance Chairman of the City of London
Corporation, which supports and promotes the world-class Square
Mile international finance and business district, said, "The
Digital Challenge process has demonstrated clearly how technology
provides government, the private sector and the voluntary sector
can effectively collaborate to address the services and needs of
local communities across Britain. The response of the private
sector and the future collaboration of the DC10 should mean that
very real progress can be made in the future."
Since the finalists were revealed last year, the ten regional
partnerships have consistently worked together above and beyond
their individual bids, resulting in today’s announcement of the
formation of the DC10. The CLG has moved to support the new body,
as well as announcing a new look Digital Challenge & Inclusion
Network website and the launch of the ‘Digital Landscape’ document
a snapshot of projects pushing the digital agenda across the
UK.
"The finalists have led the way in the UK and should be seen as
true regional digital inclusion champions. Together as the new DC10
they will continue to galvanise thinking, unleash creativity and
raise the agenda, both locally and nationally.
With the ten finalists moving from being competitors to
collaborators the Digital Challenge is an example of how a
cross-Government, cross-sector initiative can flourish. ICT as an
enabler for social inclusion is now firmly embedded in CLG’s Local
Government White Paper for the delivery of the LAA and LSP targets,
as well as within the Transformation Government agenda and within
the Varney Report.
The ten members of the DC10 are:
- The Virtual District of Stratford-upon-Avon - Stratford on Avon
District Council
- City and Rural Communities Using IT - Birmingham City Council
(Lead Authority) & Shropshire County Council
- My Norfolk - Norfolk County Council on behalf of the Norfolk
Ambition County Strategic Partnership
- Sunderland – Where people matter - Sunderland City Council
- Success Through Diversity Enabled by Digital Innovation -
Ealing Council
- Connecting Bristol – Building Momentum for Change - Bristol
City Council on behalf of Connecting Bristol and the Momentum
Group
- Connected Nottingham - Nottingham City & Nottinghamshire
County Council
- STREAM – Transforming Neighbourhoods - Kingston Upon Hull City
Council
- Digital MK - Milton Keynes Council
- One-Manchester - Manchester City Council, in partnership with
Tameside MBC
Ends
Notes to Editors:
The DC-10 Group of the ten Digital Challenge finalists will
continue to work together with central government and the Digital
Challenge winner to progress the use of digital technologies to
tackle social exclusion and continue to be exemplars in this field.
The participants believe that this will enable a range of
collaborative workstreams to be developed to promote digital
inclusion across the UK. The workstreams will build on and take
forward the thinking already developed in the Digital Challenge
bids, enabling the joint capital of this thinking to contribute to
the overall Digital and Social Inclusion agendas. With this, the
DC10 aim to prove that the increase in the take-up and use of
digital technologies in their respective regions - for example
increasing the levels of broadband Internet usage in all sectors of
our communities to over 90% by the end of 2010.
The work of the DC-10 Group will include the following:
- To exchange knowledge and jointly develop best practice advice
based on the key themes identified with central government from our
Digital Challenge Bids
- To work with central government to develop centrally funded
work programmes to implement individual and joint actions around
those key themes
- To promote digital inclusion to support the delivery of Local
Area Agreements (LAAs) and their outcomes
- To jointly develop bids to EU and other funding sources,
supported by central government
- To identify key issues and lobby central government, national
organisations and the EU for solutions to these
- To advise central government, other local authorities and other
relevant bodies on best practice in this field - specifically to
organise a series of regional events showcasing the work and
learning generated by the Digital Challenge
- To participate in presentations and exhibitions on behalf of
the DC10 group as agreed
The City of London Corporation is committed to
maintaining and enhancing the status of the wealth and
tax-generating business of the City as the world's leading
international financial and business centre through its policies
and services. Examples are the extensive overseas business missions
on behalf of UK-based financial services and the wide-ranging
economic development, research and regeneration effort the City of
London Corporation undertakes across London. It also runs the City
Office in Brussels on behalf of the City and City Representations
in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai – and a City Office in Mumbai.
Although the City of London Corporation provides local government
services for the City, the financial and commercial heart of
Britain, its responsibilities also extend far beyond the City
boundaries and include management of the Barbican Centre, Central
Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath,
three wholesale food markets, as well as acting as the London Port
Health Authority – and running the Animal Reception Centre at
Heathrow. It is also sole trustee of The City Bridge Trust, the
largest grant-maker to London-only charities. It provided guidance,
offices and other support for DC and acted as "parent" local
authority.
Contact
Greg Williams Head of Press
direct 020 7332 1455
mobile 07889 167 205