We’re delighted to have awarded a £2,000 grant to Breakthru CIC, a non-profit organisation that provides training and wellbeing support to marginalised groups in Wednesbury.
Our funding will support Breakthru’s Aman Group, which helps over 200 predominantly South Asian women who face an intersection of language barriers, cultural isolation and socioeconomic hardship.
The funding will specifically provide new Digital Empowerment training to 75 women in the group. This will teach them how to access vital online services such as booking GP appointments, applying for jobs and benefits, accessing council services, and using smartphones and emails.
A small team of women for the group will also benefit from additional training to become Digital Champions, enabling them to provide peer support to the less digitally confident members of the community. The training will also focus on the importance of digital safety and how to protect yourself online.
Victoria Breakwell, Director and Counsellor at Breakthru, said: “The digital divide has increasingly restricted access to vital services, employment opportunities, education, and social connectivity - all exacerbated by the aftermath of the pandemic.
“This culturally tailored project will bridge the digital divide for South Asian women to reduce inequality and ensure no one in our community is left behind.”
The donation follows an application through our Community Impact Fund. The Fund is an initiative designed to benefit our localities and the people who live there. Grants of up to £2,000 per project are available for charities and community groups working to support local people.
The fund is made possible thanks to generous donations made by some of our suppliers, as part of their social value delivery commitments. One of these suppliers is E Plan Energy Ltd, who are delivering an electrical installation contract for us.
Lauren Sylva, Service Delivery Manager at E Plan, said: “As a Midlands-based organisation, we're keen to support local initiatives, particularly those that benefit the community through food banks or projects aimed at helping young people and the elderly.”
Sian Every, our Community Investment and Social Value Lead, said: “I’m so pleased we could support this valuable service for women in Wednesbury, where many GSA residents live. Digital skills are essential to accessing so many services, and I’m delighted that our funding will give members of the Aman Group the confidence to manage their needs.”