Groups and organisations throughout the UK and Ireland that are working to address and test solutions to the digital challenges facing vulnerable young people aged 12-25 are being invited to apply for funding to either help make their work a reality or to help them continue their existing efforts.

The £30k funding pot has been made available by the Carnegie UK Trust as part of their #NotWithoutMe project following their research which revealed that without access to digital technology, people and communities are suffering increasing levels of disadvantage, especially those who may be at points of transition in their lives, such as being unemployed, homeless or in-care.


In a recent Ipsos Mori poll* carried out by the Trust it was found, unsurprisingly, that 97% of people think it’s important that all young people have basic digital skills.

Gina Wilson, Senior Project Officer at the Carnegie UK Trust and leader of the #NotWithoutMe project, said: “Young people who lack basic digital skills are being prevented from accessing opportunities, whether that be employment, education or social experiences and their prospects in an increasingly digital world may be limited.


“The focus of the #NotWithoutMe project is on developing the digital skills of individual young people, and building capacity in the organisations that support them. The most important element is to help improve digital inclusion for those who may be vulnerable, lacking in digital skills and unable to fully access the opportunities available to them.”

The Carnegie UK Trust will provide £10k to each successful applicant, as well as provide advice to help develop a framework for evaluating project activities and help groups to identify external support for their work.

Gina continued: “We are looking for organisations that might already be delivery digital projects to vulnerable young people across the UK and Ireland, or those that might be looking to start a new project but require funding to make it happen.”


Máire McCormack is Head of Policy for Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People. The Commissioner is signed up to the iRights coalition which is a  civil society initiative that seeks to make the digital world a more transparent and empowering place for children and young people (under 18).

Máire, said: “Young people’s rights apply just as strongly online as they do anywhere else. That’s why the Commissioner signed up to the iRights coalition, and it is why our office supports the #NotWithoutMe initiative, too.

“Whether it’s doing work for school, applying for a job or finding out about issues that matter to us, online activity is now an essential part of our everyday lives. In today’s society, a young person cut off from the digital world is one who cannot fully participate in society.

“With many of our most vulnerable young people among those least likely to have access to the web, work urgently needs to be done to provide them with basic digital skills. I’m delighted that the Carnegie UK Trust is to help make sure this work gets done, and would encourage organisations to apply to their #NotWithoutMe initiative.”