Digital Participation and Social Justice

SBCC & RSA Fellows’ Borders Network bring you this joint event to discuss social justice, rural employment and connectivity.

Speaker: Douglas White FRSA, Carnegie UK Trust

RSA Fellows, Members of the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce (SBCC), and other individuals and guests with interest in social justice, rural employment, connectivity, and associated issues of relevance are most welcome to register for this free event.

The Carnegie UK Trust’s recent report Digital Participation and Social Justice in Scotland will be the subject of the presentation and discussion in a Borders context. Having access to the internet is now an essential service. Indeed it is described by some as the ‘fourth utility’. But up to a fifth of UK households remain offline – and it is often those who could gain the most from internet access who are the least likely to be connected. Digital Participation and Social Justice in Scotland examines the links between digital exclusion and other forms of social exclusion. It identifies who is most likely to be digitally excluded and draws on detailed statistical analysis, carried out by Ipsos MORI, to examine the key drivers of this exclusion – including working status, housing tenure, age, qualifications, active lifestyles, and mental health. You can download the short summary report here, full data report here and infographic here. See also other Carnegie UK Trust work on Digital Futures.

Any queries related to the event, please contact Ann Packard FRSA: apmcich@btinternet.com or by telephone to 0131-556 2052.

Location: Trinity Centre, Episcopal Church, High Cross Avenue, Melrose, TD6 9SU

 SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Douglas White leads the Carnegie UK Trust’s work across a range of issues, including digital access and inclusion, news media, affordable credit, and quality of public space. He joined the Trust in 2011 as a senior policy officer and has more than a decade of experience in public policy and research. Previously he held senior positions at Consumer Focus Scotland and Blake Stevenson Ltd. He is a member of various expert groups and panels, working with organisations including DCMS, the BBC and the Scottish Government, His work has led directly to positive change in many policy areas. Douglas has an MA (Hons) in Politics from the University of Edinburgh. He is a Committee Member at Shelter Scotland, a graduate of the ACEVO Emerging Leaders Programme and a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce). He lives in Edinburgh with his wife and son and in his spare time he can be found playing a wide range of different sports.