Live Base: Empowering tomorrows digital generation today

For most young people across the UK online social networking, email, gaming and a myriad of other internet resources are taken for granted. However not all young people are ICT literate – 11% of 16 to 24 year olds* are in fact digitally excluded and in areas with higher levels of deprivation this figure soars.

Targeting young people not in employment, education or training the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and BT ‘Live Base’ project uses state of the art Stephen Lawrence Centre as a community IT access hub to provide specific IT and web support for those wanting to develop their IT skills, increase their knowledge of, and access to, the internet.

The digital divide is not always about a lack of access to the internet and is often related to barriers  around fear and lack of confidence. The aim of Live Base is to help young people overcome any barriers they may have to computers and the internet so they can take advantage of the numerous opportunities digital technology and the internet has to offer and go onto access a range of education, training and employment options on offer at the Stephen Lawrence Centre.  

Live Base is supported by Lewisham local authority and delivery partner Streetvibes. The project enables young people to take a lead role in its development and to learn skills that employers want.
 
BT website: "Let's Make a Better World" (http://www.btbetterworld.com/)

 
(* Understanding digital inclusion - A research summary by UK online Centres May 2007 http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/downloads/UK_Online_digitalinclusion.pdf )