Nov 12, 2026
I’m pleased to announce that Eve Miller Biot has been promoted to the new role of Director of Programmes to reflect her contribution over the last 5 years.
Eve’s role will be to ensure our work is consistent across our programme areas and will continue to lead on and develop the way we capture the impact of our work and to develop key partnerships to support this.
She will now, also, formally lead on our Croydon programme and will be the primary contact for any of the delivery in that Borough as well as steering our work with younger people and online harm.
She brings a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the people we support, helping to shape the breadth of our work and keep it grounded in what we see and learn every day. I look forward to continuing our work together in the years ahead.
Nov 5, 2026
The ClearCommunityWeb team joined Reaching Higher Charity for their half-term podcast session with young people aged 11–15. Rather than arriving with a fixed agenda or a lesson plan, we sat around a table and they led the conversation, setting the topics and asking us the questions.
This session is part of our intergenerational project in Croydon exploring online safety, indirect and direct experiences of online violence, and where young people actually turn for help.
This was an invaluable opportunity to gain rich insights including:
– The proposed social media bans: Opinions were divided—and not just between the adults and the young people. Candid, creative revelations on how easily age verification barriers are bypassed.
– AI: Real anxiety about environmental impact and future job security, balanced with excitement about how AI tools can improve daily accessibility.
A massive thank you to Liv Owens for partnering with us on this and bringing thoughtful context around algorithms, cookies, and our evolving relationship with AI.
Most of all, thank you to Reaching Higher and every young person who welcomed us into their space. When we make room for informal, genuine dialogue, the learning you get in return is invaluable.
Nov 3, 2026
After a short break, it was great to bring back our Digital Awareness Online Class, where we caught up as a group, explored some of the new features in WhatsApp, and reminded ourselves of the Which? Scam Alert Service.
Digital Awareness Online was an idea that should never have worked, but in the face of many obstacles, it has thrived and become much more than the sum of its parts.
Flash back to March 2020: I was running a small class at the Upper Norwood Library called Digital Skills for Seniors. The threat of Covid was imminent, but none of us knew what was in store or what we had to prepare for. I invited those who were interested to a small info session about how to shop online on Friday morning. Three people came, and I surreptitiously installed Zoom on their laptops.
By Monday, we were locked down and locked in. There was nothing left to do but send an email to the 12 names I had and follow up by phone. On Tuesday, we ran our first online class. Teaching people how to use Zoom via Zoom might sound like ‘Crazy Talk’, but it worked—and it still does!
Five people turned up to that first class. One of them wasn’t known to us beforehand—we still don’t know how they found out about it—but both they and the group continued to grow.
Through the periods of lockdown, we would share photos and videos of the local area via social media. It was a great way to show the strength of hyper-local connection, which at the time we often took for granted. Mainstream news tended to focus on national or international affairs, leaving next to nothing about what was happening right on our doorstep.
Today, we have a membership of over 80 people. Each class covers a timely topic—today we covered WhatsApp usernames, the return of winter fuel scams, and smart fridges being hacked across Europe. It’s always as much a live discussion about people’s real experiences as it is a structured lesson.
That peer interaction is what makes it special. The group has naturally evolved into an informal lived-experience steering group, guiding how we support people and deliver content across our other classes and workshops. It’s not just the high-level topics that matter to the group, but the specific, practical details that affect their daily lives.
While we focus heavily on online safety, we’ve also introduced AI, navigated the transition to Windows 11 (extending the life of Windows 10 along the way), explored the NHS App, and demonstrated how to use QR codes.
Members of the group have since gone on to participate in steering groups with the Good Things Foundation, provide feedback to hospital trusts about the MyChart App, and support Digital Unite with client user testing. It has become an invaluable community resource—and a real opportunity for people to contribute back into a system they previously felt excluded from.
We also run a WhatsApp group for ongoing peer support, and once you’re a member, you get a recording of each class in case you miss one.
If this sounds like something for you, feel free to register here and come on board
Oct 20, 2026
It’s that time of year when the digital inclusion sector gets together to raise awareness about the challenges and impact of digital access: #GetOnlineWeek
Whether it’s access to devices, skills support or services we’ve been long advocates of a digital inclusion first approach which means maintaining non – digital pathways for critical support, proving choice and an understanding that people’s ability
It often feels as if the focus on what people cannot do or access; an otherness that assumes little responsibility by poor service design or implementation focussed solely on cost savings.
Thank you to the Good Things Foundation for driving this forward again and of course dear friends at Digital Unite.
As part of our Get Online Week activities we expect to see over 150 people this week, through our regular schedule of Digital Drop Ins, sheltered housing scheme support and community places workshop across Croydon, Bromley, Southwark and Lambeth.
We are also running 2 information sessions to introduce the Google AI Professional certificate; supporting people develop their workplace skills.
Oct 17, 2026
As the Autumn weather starts to arrive and we prepare to turn the clocks back you may be looking for a distraction.
What perfect time to come along to one of our regular workshops. This month we are covering a range of subjects from Securing your online accounts (Peckham), Optimizing your mobile phone (Kennington & Central Croydon) and Being Safe on WhatsApp (Ashburton)
We also have a new programme starting to sport people with AI skills in the workplace. If you want to learn more about how these skills can help you as well as local support available, then sign up to one of our information sessions here.
And finally, we recently returned to Upper Norwood Library Hub, and curated an afternoon of talks, conversation and hands-on help for local residents who want to feel more confident using digital health services. Read more about our Managing Your Health Online, Today here.
Oct 17, 2026
What we learned at the Upper Norwood Library Hub
We recently returned to where it all began: Upper Norwood Library Hub, and curated Managing Your Health Online, Today, an afternoon of talks, conversation and hands-on help for local residents who want to feel more confident using digital health services.
More than 40 people came along to the talks. Six people also had one-to-one support to set up the NHS App, so they can now book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and view their health information from their own phone.
We love to create safe and supportive spaces for residents to get to grips with a change to the way they can interact with services and the results were undeniable:
- 90% learnt something new
- 76% improved their confidence
- 73% felt more able to manage their health online
- 73% built positive relationships from the event
- 73% know more about other local activities
- 70% felt part of their community
We also heard from the Paxton Green Time Bank and Pantry about their inspiring work bringing neighbours together and supporting people in the community as well as Age Uk Lambeth and Healthwatch Lambeth.
Digital exclusion is a health inequality
Health services are moving online. Booking a GP appointment, getting a prescription or reading test results increasingly depends on having a device, a connection and the confidence to use them. The people who are least likely to have these are often the people who most need health services. That makes digital exclusion a health inequality, not just a technology issue.
We believe the most lasting way to tackle it is through people. When someone learns alongside neighbours, gets help from a friendly face, or hears about local activities from their peers, their confidence grows and they become more connected. Social and peer connections increase inclusion.
Thank you to Upper Norwood Library Hub for hosting us and being such a welcoming home for this work.
