Carrbridge Youth Centre becomes latest beneficiary of Three UK’s Connected Communities programme to help tackle the digital divide

• Carrbridge Youth Centre, based in Woodchurch, Birkenhead has become the latest community group to benefit from Three UK’s Connected Communities programme
• Connected Communities aims to bridge the digital divide, helping those who need it most to be able to get online and to have the basic skills required to do so
• The package given to the Carrbridge Youth Centre includes Three UK’s market leading 5G broadband, a number of smart tablets and a learning session delivered by the Three UK Discovery team

Three UK has provided free high-speed broadband, smart tablets and digital training sessions to the Carrbridge Youth Centre, Birkenhead, as part of its Connected Communities programme.

Launched by Three UK’s Discovery team as a pilot initiative in 2022, Connected Communities aims to bridge the digital divide – providing brilliant young people across the country with the tools they need to succeed – empowering them and their communities every day, through the power of Three UK’s network.

Following the successful launch with four youth groups across Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester, the Carrbridge Youth Centre of Birkenhead becomes the latest community group to benefit from the package donated and delivered by Three UK. The Youth Centre was selected after being nominated by their local community in recognition of the hard work the leaders do to help young people and engage with them in their community. The nomination detailed “They do valuable work helping kids in an area that really needs it.”.

The first learning session at the Carrbridge Youth Centre was delivered by Three UK’s Discovery team on Tuesday 2 July and provided attendees with training in stop-motion animation. The 5G broadband and tablets provided will remain at the Youth Centre and be available to all of those who use it.

Three UK’s Discovery programme delivers digital training for local communities of all ages and abilities, no matter what network they are on. In 2023, 34,000 people experienced a Discovery session. The training aims to help people gain and develop their digital skill set.

Craig Miller, Head of Retail at Three UK, said: “It has never been more important for young people across the UK to have access to technology and connectivity. In this day and age, it is an integral part of day-to-day life, from aiding young people in their studies to providing them with a creative outlet or simply in communicating with their friends.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring our Connected Communities programme to the youth of Birkenhead. Being able to run a Discovery session for the Carrbridge Youth Centre has helped us to empower and educate young people with the tools they need to excel in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.”

JJ Martin, Youth Lead of the Carrbridge Youth Centre, said: “I think education on the use of technology for children and young people is of the utmost importance in today’s society. There are many negative connotations around use of technology and young people – but we’re currently living in a digital world so we can’t underestimate the sheer importance of technological intelligence for our young people. Activities and workshops such as this stop motion could open new avenues and opportunities for them as they get older.”