Digital Communities Partnership

For Get Online Week 2026, Bury Works: Digital for All are pleased to announce the launch of the Digital Communities Partnership pilot!

This aims to bring together charities, community groups, businesses and public sector organisations to support digital inclusion across Bury.

The Partnership will provide a space for organisations to connect, collaborate and share knowledge, helping to ensure residents can access the support, skills, devices and connectivity they need to thrive in a digital world.

Inspired by successful partnership models elsewhere and developed in response to local demand, the Digital Communities Partnership will help strengthen collaboration across Bury and make it easier for organisations to work together to tackle digital exclusion. The Digital Communities Partnership is coordinated by Bury Council's Business & Investment Team through the Bury Works: Digital for All programme.

The first Digital Communities Partnership meeting will take place in January 2027, with further details shared with registered members.

What will the Partnership do?

Connect organisations delivering digital inclusion activities across Bury.
Encourage collaboration and reduce duplication of services.
Share funding opportunities, consultations, resources and policy updates.
Develop and maintain a directory of local digital support services.
Promote good practice, learning and success stories.
Identify emerging needs and opportunities to improve digital inclusion across the borough.
Facilitate access to the Bury Works: Digital for All Device Refurbishment Scheme which provides gifted laptops to residents referred by support agencies.

Who can join?

Membership is free and open to eligible organisations operating in Bury.

These can include:

Charities and voluntary organisations
Community groups
Businesses and employers
Education and training providers
Public sector organisations
Any organisation with an interest in supporting digital inclusion in Bury

If you have a question about your organisation's eligibility, please contact digitalsupport@bury.gov.uk.

Please note, if you are Bury Council staff member already involved in the internal Digital Inclusion Network Group, you do not need to join the Digital Communities Partnership as the DCP will feed into the DING.

How will it work?

The Business & Investment Team will host an online meeting open to all members every three months for knowledge exchange and constructive discussion.

A monthly digital inclusion bulletin will be circulated to all members, providing updates on local activity, funding opportunities, resources, events and news from partner organisations.

Members will have opportunities to share success stories, case studies and examples of partnership working, helping us demonstrate the impact of digital inclusion activities across Bury.

Why join?

By joining the Digital Communities Partnership, organisations can:

Build new connections with local partners.
Increase awareness of their services and activities.
Share knowledge and best practice.
Identify opportunities for collaboration and funding.
Contribute to reducing digital exclusion across Bury.
Access the Bury Works: Digital for All Device Refurbishment Scheme which provides gifted laptops to residents referred by support agencies.

How to Join

Complete our application form - tell us about your organisation, the people you support, and the type of digital support you currently offer (if any).
Initial conversation - our Digital Inclusion Officer will contact you to introduce themselves and arrange for an induction to take place. Where a relationship is already established through previous work with the Business and Investment Team, we can discuss whether an induction is needed during our initial conversation.
Induction session - we meet virtually or in person for a friendly conversation about how we can support your work and how you can get involved. This is where we get to know you, your organisation or team.
Become a DCP partner - you can now attend partner meetups, access your benefits, share successes, learn from others, and contribute to tackling digital exclusion across Bury.