At Sky, we pride ourselves in being a force for good in the communities where we live and work. Every day, we play our part to tackle loneliness and social isolation through our dedicated Sky Cares programmes. One key aim of this community work is to address the growing issue of digital inequity.

Why digital?

We live in an online world. The pandemic has made us all even more reliant on technology to keep us connected and able to actively participate in society; from online shopping and appointment booking, to online groups and zoom calls.

But for those who are not online or confident with technology, their isolation and loneliness experience has been amplified in recent years.

Millions of people in society still don’t have the access to, or the ability to use technology, meaning they are at a higher risk of experiencing loneliness, being excluded, or left behind.

By offering people in our communities the chance to improve their digital skills and boost their confidence with technology, we can open up online worlds, help tackle digital isolation and keep people connected.

Introducing Sky Up

Sky Up is Sky’s new digital equity initiative; unlocking possibilities so everyone can create a better future.

The programme was created to ensure that the two groups who are at most risk of digital exclusion in our society are not held back by the digital divide; the under 25s living in underserved communities, and the over 65s.

Sky Up is made up of 3 dedicated programme strands:

Digital Hubs: 100 physical centres in the heart of communities and working in partnership with local charities. A space where service users can come together to learn about tech, increase their digi confidence, and get connected. Our 10 flagship digital hubs are fully revamped by Sky, and we provide the tech, devices and broadband infrastructure for 3 years.

Tech Grants: supporting 1000 young people from the care leaver community, to provide them with free broadband, technology, and specialist training.

Sky Up Education: An immersive Sky experience, offering unique opportunities for young people to develop their creative and digital skills through immersive experiences at our Sky Academy Studios, on the road in one of our e-vehicles, or in the classroom.

Sky Up is supported by our dedicated Sky Digital Champions, who have offered to volunteer their time to support community digital inclusion work in our Digital Hub spaces. Working in partnership with our Sky Up charity partners, the role of a Digital Champion is to offer friendly, person-centered support to help individuals in the community gain access to, and safely navigate, the digital world.

Bridging the digital divide

Sky Up is an innovative and transformative programme which is tackling a real and significant issue in society.  With a £10 million pound fund behind the programme, Sky Up will help to connect 250,000 digitally isolated individuals to the digital resources, tools and skills they need to succeed.

We are really proud of the positive impact we have already made through Sky Up since our launch in 2022. We look forward to seeing this programme grow over the coming years, to support even more people to get online and use tech with confidence; making new connections, tackling loneliness, and boosting well-being for those experiencing digital isolation.

Visit Sky Up for more information.