QFUTURES Community Fund invests £63,750 in digital skills across North and East Yorkshire

Selby CoderDojo

Thanks to a partnership with rural broadband provider Quickline, the QFUTURES Community Fund has awarded £63,750 to community groups to support digital skills and inclusion across North and East Yorkshire.

Communities across York, Pocklington, and Selby are working with children, young people, and families to build digital confidence, develop essential skills and improve their chances of accessing education, training and employment.

Four local community organisations were awarded grants in this round of funding, Selby CoderDojo, MySight York, The Island and Community Furniture Store. Each has been awarded funding over a number of years, so they can plan ahead, grow their services and create long-term impact in their communities.

MySight York are using their grant to deliver accessible digital support for blind and partially sighted people in York. Many people with sight loss struggle to access everyday technology due to poor design, low digital confidence and limited support. Their programme will provide one-to-one tech support sessions, monthly drop-ins, a technology loan scheme and a peer-led “Tech Buddy” mentoring initiative. All sessions will take place at their fully accessible city centre hub, helping participants to build confidence, develop practical digital skills and feel more included in an increasingly digital world.

Selby CoderDojo is supporting young people to explore digital technologies by creating their own games, websites and applications using platforms such as Scratch, Python, Unity, HTML, CSS and JavaScript. They will also introduce ways to use AI tools safely and guide participants through physical computing projects using electronic components. The programme is designed to be fun and flexible, encouraging young people to follow their interests and take ownership of how they learn. Selby CoderDojo will also provide devices to children who do not have one at home, ensuring everyone can take part.

The Island‘s grant is funding a tailored digital safety programme for teenagers and their families. Many of the young people they support are vulnerable online, and their caregivers often lack confidence in managing digital use at home. The team will begin with a digital audit to understand the specific challenges, then design a six-week course that covers key skills such as staying safe online, managing digital habits, and dealing with issues like cyberbullying, explicit content and hate speech. The course will run four times over two years, reaching up to 80 teenagers. Alongside this, 120 parents and carers will receive printed resource packs to help them build knowledge and confidence in supporting their families.

Community Furniture Store are employing a dedicated member of staff to lead the development of a skills and volunteering programme focused on IT ReUse. This role will include recruiting volunteers, assessing their individual needs and creating personalised progression plans, with a focus on young people who face social or educational barriers. Volunteers will gain hands-on experience by refurbishing digital devices for those in need and working on community-led digital projects, such as building websites for charities or delivering digital workshops. They will also be supported by professional mentors to build their skills, grow their confidence and identify next steps into employment, further education or apprenticeships. With over 70 per cent of current volunteers under 25, this investment will help the organisation meet increasing demand and provide meaningful support to more young people.

Speaking about the grant, Bec Horner, Head of Communications and Partnerships, said:

“Partnering with Quickline to design and deliver the QFUTURES Community Fund has been a fantastic experience. This multi-year funding gives local organisations the stability to plan ahead and the resources to drive real impact, breaking down digital barriers, supporting access to employment, and opening up new opportunities now and into the future.

We’re proud to work with businesses like Quickline to deliver strategic grant programmes that tackle inequality and create lasting change in communities across North and East Yorkshire.”

Sarah Lilleyman-Hall, Social Values and Event Manager, said:

“At Quickline, we’re committed to more than just connecting homes and businesses to broadband, we want to connect people to opportunities. The QFUTURES Community Fund is a fantastic way for us to support Two Ridings Community Foundation in their work with local organisations giving children, young people and families the digital skills and confidence they need to thrive. It’s inspiring to see the real impact these grants are having across North and East Yorkshire.”

Applications for QFUTURES Community Fund are currently closed, but to find out more about the fund and the grants made, please visit: tworidingscf.org.uk.