Seizing big moments for big impact

By Hannah Whelan, Advocacy Manager, Good Things Foundation

Did you know that in the UK today, 1.9 million households struggle to afford their mobile contract? 1.6 million adults don't have a digital device, and 7.9 million lack the digital basics. Digital inclusion is essential for modern life, now enabling employment, education, health and social care, as well as banking, shopping, sports and leisure.

Yet the issue remains urgent - Good Things’ latest research shows over 37% of adults in the North West feel less confident going online since the rise of AI and thousands of Manchester and North West residents have intentionally avoided essential services in the past year.

Seizing big moments for big impact can catalyse digital inclusion. Critical change moments have the potential to drive inclusive economic growth, remove barriers to opportunity, and help renew Britain so everyone has the digital access, skills and confidence they need.

With 63% in the North West saying support or training would help them feel more confident, this Digitober we must harness these moments to bake in digital inclusion - in the region and beyond - so everyone can experience the benefits.

Big moments in health

Digital transformations are already taking shape, and are there for the taking. The NHS 10 Year Plan for England is a good example: their 'analogue to digital' shift is replacing outdated paper processes with modern technology to improve care. This includes using tools like the NHS App for patient management, introducing AI for clinical support, and creating connected digital systems for seamless information flow between providers.

This transition will only be successful if digital inclusion is foregrounded. Whether that happens sooner or later, or in an orderly or disorderly way, is a question for the Dept. Health and Social Care. And when it is, it means that patients could have internet connectivity and digital capability and confidence for accessing say, their records online - as well as doing their groceries.

Big moments in TV

Similarly the future of television represents another ‘big moment’ to grasp. If embraced, a managed, full transition to Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) - rather than the existing hybrid infrastructure - could create a more inclusive society and deliver better value for the public.

IPTV could become a catalyst to universal connectivity, as television would be distributed solely via the internet. This would ensure all audiences had reliable access to essential services extending far beyond their TV set. What’s more, research shows an IPTV transition could potentially generate £21.1-£30.8 billion in annual Gross Value Added through increased productivity and employment.

Big moments in Manchester

Greater Manchester is already showing what seizing a ‘big moment’ for digital inclusion could look like. Through the Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) programme, the city-region has installed over 2.7km of full-fibre cable and connected over 1,500 public sites including schools and libraries. The programme extended free connectivity to a number of community organisations as well as creating millions in economic and social value for the region - a big infrastructure moment, which has helped to close connectivity gaps as well as eradicate digital exclusion holistically.

Big moments, big impact

Last week was Good Things’ 2025 Get Online Week campaign; empowering tens of thousands of people with the access, skills and confidence they need to use digital technologies across the UK. Each conversation, workshop, ‘tech and tea’ session laid the foundation for a modern, digital Britain where everyone can participate. But beyond the week, throughout Digitober in Greater Manchester, the North West, and further afield, we’re calling for bigger, more coordinated transitions that bake in digital inclusion and help us fix the digital divide.

By foregrounding digital inclusion in every transition, and by working collaboratively across sectors, regions, from the grassroots to the top, we can turn big moments into big impact. Let’s seize them - together.