PEACEPLUS-funded project targets Rural Digital Divide

A new PEACEPLUS-funded initiative has been launched to improve digital inclusion and strengthen economic resilience in rural communities across the border counties.

The Digital Communities project will help individuals, community organisations and businesses develop digital skills and make better use of information and communications technology to improve services, livelihoods and local development.

Supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), the pilot is led by The Wheel in partnership with nine organisations, including the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), Volunteer Now, Community Enterprise Association Ireland (CEAI), Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA), The Bytes Project, Grow Remote, Enterprise Northern Ireland and The Leslie Foundation.

The initiative will focus on five rural areas: the Causeway Coast, Mid-Ulster, the Strabane–Lifford border, Newry, and the Glaslough–Caledon border.

Particular emphasis will be placed on supporting youth work organisations, women’s groups and community enterprise hubs, helping them use digital tools to improve services for disadvantaged groups and encourage local economic growth.

The project will also provide tailored capacity-building support for volunteers, community and voluntary organisations, small businesses, SMEs, remote workers and those interested in remote employment.

By improving digital access and skills, the initiative aims to address barriers that can limit participation in economic and community life.

Data gathered during the pilot will be made publicly available to inform future planning, support evidence-based government policy and help organisations across the sector respond more effectively to rural communities’ needs.

Through collaboration and targeted training, Digital Communities seeks to create more connected, digitally confident and resilient rural communities on both sides of the border.