Established in 2021, the charity was founded in response to The Access Group’s remarkable growth and success over the past decade. Its mission is to address digital poverty in the UK, support projects run by The Access Group’s charities of the year and help support charities chosen by staff that have had a real impact on their lives.
The digital divide in the UK is a pressing issue that was starkly highlighted during the coronavirus lockdowns when countless individuals found themselves isolated and unable to access essential services due to a lack of technology.
According to the Digital Poverty Alliance, an estimated 13 to 19 million people over the age of 16 are currently facing some degree of digital poverty. This issue is closely linked to age, with research indicating that half of older adults are affected by digital poverty, and one in five are experiencing it at a severe level. However, this challenge extends beyond older generations, as around 20% of children also live in digital poverty.
The digital divide cause received the most funding last year, with 47 grants awarded for a total value of £865,000. This year, the grants focused on physical and mental health, social exclusion, the young and the elderly and areas of neurodiversity such as autism and learning disabilities.
Organisations supported included NEPHRA Good Neighbours which focuses on improving people’s lives by offering opportunities for volunteering, social interaction and recreation through enhancing skills via education and training. The charity received a grant for a project to introduce digital activities to its existing timetable, helping build digital confidence. These included iPad classes, advice on digital equipment use and assistance with booking online appointments.
The Access Foundation further broadened its support last year by backing organisations that assist vulnerable individuals in local communities across the UK. By providing targeted grants, the Foundation helped to fund a range of initiatives aimed at empowering disadvantaged groups with essential digital skills, delivered through community hubs nationwide.
Recognising that those living with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs within education, a number of schools also received grants. These include Brandles School, which will use the grant towards providing students with a music and film production facility, and Clifford Holroyde SEN School, via the Dreams Come True charity, which will use the funding towards creating a suite of desktop PCs and laptops.
The Foundation also continues to build an international presence, donating £5,000 to United Way Romania to help children, parents and teachers receive personalise educational support and training in Romania.
The Access Group’s chosen charities of the year received £1.1million in total. One of these charities is Magic Breakfast, a charity working to address food insecurity for children across the UK by providing nutritious breakfasts daily to young people, working with schools to support the most vulnerable children, positively impacting their lives and educational attainment.
Throughout the year, a combination of employee fundraising, matched funding by the business and grants from The Access Foundation raised a total of £933,000 for the charity.
The Foundation also awarded grants to two new Charities of the Year; Singapore Children’s Society and the Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA).
The introduction of ambassadors allowed The Access Foundation to get even more employees involved in its work and led to 54 varied and worthy charities that have impacted the lives of employees and their families receiving grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 to help fund vital work.
Piers McLeish, co-founder of The Access Foundation, reflected on the last year, saying: “It’s truly inspiring to look back and see how many lives have been positively transformed through the work of The Access Foundation. The difference we’ve been able to make, both for individuals and entire communities, reaffirms our mission.
“We remain deeply committed to understanding the complexities of the digital divide and its real-world impact on vulnerable groups. As we look to the future, our focus will be on continuing to support charities, organisations, and community groups that deliver meaningful change – not just across the UK, but on an international scale as well."
The Access Group is one of the largest UK-headquartered business management software providers. It provides solutions that empower more than 128,000 small and mid-sized organisations in commercial and non-profit sectors across Europe, USA and APAC, giving every employee the freedom to do more of what’s important. Its innovative cloud solutions and integrated AI software experience across multiple Access products transform how business technology is used. Access employs over 8,000 people, continuously driving product innovation and customer service excellence.
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