Free SIM cards provided in Torbay and South Devon to tackle digital exclusion
NHS partners with charity to offer online access to low-income households
Residents of Torbay and South Devon are being offered free SIM cards to help address digital exclusion within the community.
The initiative, led by Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with the Good Things Foundation, aims to support low-income families, health and social care staff, and their clients by offering pre-paid SIM cards with data for mobile phones.
The Good Things Foundation, known as the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, strives to enable everyone to be "digitally equal, able, and safe" in order to promote well-being and improved life prospects.
Eligibility for the free SIM cards is restricted to individuals who are at least 18 years old, belong to a low-income household, and either lack internet access at home or are unable to afford their existing monthly data plans.
Helen Davies-Cox, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s Head of Personalised Care, highlighted the importance of the initiative: “We have some of the most deprived communities in the country and want to do more to help people who are struggling financially by giving them free data to get online without having to worry about money.”
She added that the partnership with the Good Things Foundation directly addresses digital exclusion in the area by providing a practical solution to online barriers.
Those in Torbay and South Devon wishing to benefit from this initiative can obtain more information by emailing [email protected] , calling 01803 656700, or asking a clinician or carer involved in their care to apply on their behalf.