Peabody helps tackle digital inclusion

Peabody is leading one of four workstream sessions at the fifth National Digital Inclusion Conference (NDI10), taking place on 10 and 11 March next week at the Vinopolis Conference Centre in London.

Now in its fifth year, the conference has become an important date in the digital inclusion calendar, and is an opportunity for cross sector partners, practitioners, policy makers and thinkers to get together for two days of debate and networking.

Peabody is responsible for Social Housing and Neighbourhoods, one of the four conference workstreams designed to generate feedback that will be fed into the Race Online 2012 campaign led by Champion for Digital Inclusion Martha Lane Fox. Delegates who choose this workstream will experience an interactive panel debate, small group discussions and a ‘Dragons’ Den style’ session – chaired by Peabody Community Services Director Stephen Burns.

Panellists from a range of sectors including housing, local government, technology and the third sector will debate whether it is the responsibility of social landlords to get their residents online. Delegates will present their promises for action to a ‘Dragons’ Den style’ panel of cross-sector organisations. At the end of the conference, each of the four workstream chairs will present their delegates’ final promises, designed to move digital inclusion forwards in 2010 and beyond.

Stephen Burns comments:

“The conference is a great opportunity for housing providers to meet and debate the merits of digital inclusion in a social housing context with other sectors. Peabody has for many years understood the importance of digital inclusion both in terms of the wider impact on social inclusion and communities as well as the business case for having our residents online.”

Other workstream sessions include Digital Skills for All, led by UK online centres, Health and Well-being, led by NHS Choices, and Digital Government for All led by Directgov.

In the main conference hall, NDI10 will be opened by Digital Britain Minister Stephen Timms and Champion for Digital Inclusion Martha Lane Fox, with video contributions from Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. The Tory view on digital Britain will come from Shadow Minister Jeremy Hunt MP, with other speakers including Professor Tanya Byron and Google’s Matt Brittin. All will be overseen by the RSA’s Matthew Taylor, back at the helm as Conference Chair.

For more information on the Conference, or to follow on the live webstream, visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk, or follow Twitter hashtag #NDI10. There’s also a Ning site for delegates and anyone else interested in digital inclusion - http://net.digitalengagement.org/ - to start networking and talking before, during and after NDI10 itself.

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For more information contact Peabody Media Relations Officer Neil Young on 0207 021 4210 or neil.young@peabody.org.uk.

• For more information on the Conference, or to follow on the live webstream next week, please visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk, follow Twitter hashtag #NDI10 and join the digital engagement Ning http://net.digitalengagement.org/.
   
• The National Digital Inclusion Conference (NDI10) is now in its fifth year, and run by Civic Agenda, with key partners UK online centres, and supporters including Becta, BIS, BT, Business Link, Citizens Online, CLG, CTT, Digital 2020, Intel, Microsoft, NHS Choices, Nominet Trust, Ofcom, Peabody, Race Online 2012, Regenerate IT, StartHere and Youthnet.
   
• Peabody was established by the philanthropic American banker George Peabody in 1862 to alleviate poverty in London. With 99 percent of our residents living within six miles of Smithfield Market, our mission for the 21st century is to make London a city of opportunity for all by providing as many people as possible with a good home, a real sense of purpose and a strong feeling of belonging. Peabody has more than 17,500 homes in London, from historic Victorian estates in the heart of the city to pioneering developments such as BedZED and Darwin Court.
  
  As well as being one of London’s oldest and largest social landlords, we are also a major regeneration agency, providing a wide range of projects to create and support thriving, sustainable communities. These projects cover employment and training, specialist housing and activities for older people, support for young people, volunteering, digital and financial inclusion, family support, and health and well-being.