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It’s to help families struggling with the cost of living.

As millions of UK households continue to grapple with the cost of living crisis, 11.4 million admit they are just one paycheck away from serious hardship.

Summit Learning Trust, a trust with 8,000 students across the region, has become the UK’s 1,000th national data center, providing free mobile data, texts and calls to help those in need in Birmingham to stay connected.

It comes as new research reveals that more than a third (36%) of people in the West Midlands are just one payslip away from serious hardship and are even limiting the way they use their mobile phones to cut costs.

Across the country, the study also found that the cost-of-living crisis prevents 1 in 10 low-income Britons, those with a household income of up to £25,000, from calling or texting their loved ones, while the 12% are limiting the way they use their mobile data.

Another 70% of those earning less than £25,000 say they don’t know what they would do if they couldn’t access the internet, and nearly 4 in 10 (38%) say they rely on their phone to go online.

To help people in need connect and stay connected with their loved ones, Virgin Media O2 and digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, have opened the UK’s 1000th National Databank Hub, part of the National Digital Inclusion Network. . at Summit Learning Trust in Birmingham.

The National Databank, founded by Virgin Media O2 and digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation, is now in more places than ever and is like a food bank, but provides free mobile data, texts and calls to people who need it.

Demand for the National Databank continues to rise, with its website already seeing nearly double the number of hits in 2023 compared to this time last year, as people search for how they can get help staying connected as the cost of living crisis continues. . .

Gail Porter, who has also experienced homelessness, is helping to raise awareness about how the National Databank enables people in need to access free mobile data.

Gail has just visited one of the National Data Bank Centers in Sheffield to speak to some of the people directly affected by data poverty and helped by the National Data Bank.

SPOKESMAN’S COMMENT

Gail Porter:

“The National Databank is an incredible initiative to provide free mobile data to the people who need it most. It is a service that would have helped me get off the streets faster when I was homeless. You can’t underestimate the power of staying connected and being able to access important services and information on your phone.”

Nicola Green of Virgin Media O2 said:

“We are proud to support the opening of the UK’s 1,000th National Data Center at the Summit Trust to help people in Birmingham connect and stay connected with their loved ones.

“As the proud founders of the National Databank, Virgin Media O2 has committed over 61 million GB of O2 data to help people get free data, text and calls so they and their families can access essential websites. , study and work from home, and keep in touch with your friends and family.”

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