Directgov: Directgov helps tackle digital exclusion

Directgov is proud to be supporting the fifth National Digital Inclusion Conference, taking place on 10th and 11 March 2010 at the Vinopolis Conference Centre, London. Media passes available on request.

Directgov is responsible for ‘Digital Government For All’’, one of the four conference workstreams designed to generate feedback that will be fed into Champion for Digital Inclusion, Martha Lane Fox’s Race Online 2012 campaign. Delegates who choose this workstream will experience an interactive panel debate, small group discussions and a ‘Dragons’ Den style’ session –chaired by Mike Hoban, Communications and Engagement Director, Directgov.

Panellists for the debate will include Dave Coplin from Microsoft, Richard Allen from Facebook and Stephen Dodson from DC10plus. Delegates can put forward a question to the panel in advance of the conference on Twitter via @Directgov

At the final ‘Digital Government For All’’ session, delegates will present their pledges of action to a ‘Dragons’ Den style’ panel for scrutiny and feedback. The Dragons will include Caroline Diehl of Media Trust and Michael Nutley of New Media Age. At the end of the conference, each of the four workstream chairs will present their delegates’ final pledges.

Jayne Nickalls, Directgov CEO said: “Directgov is committed to providing easy-to-understand information on all government services that is accessible 24/7 to as many people as possible. We hope through our involvement in this conference that we can help the 17 million people who are still digitally excluded*, and ensure the best use of digital technology, either directly or indirectly, to improve the nation’s lives.”

For more information and to access Directgov, please visit www.direct.gov.uk.

For more information on the Conference, or to follow on the live webstream next week, please visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk and follow Twitter hashtag #NDI10.

* 16 June 2009, joint DCMS/BERR press release on Digital Britain Report

For more information email helen.beckett2@directgov.gsi.gov.uk or call 020 7 829 3817.

For a free press pass to the Conference, please contact Abi Stevens – astevens@ufi.com, 0778 666 0689.

Notes to editors

• For more information on the Conference, or to follow on the live webstream next week, please visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk, follow Twitter hashtag #NDI10 and join the digital engagement Ning http://net.digitalengagement.org/.
• The National Digital Inclusion Conference (NDI10) is now in its fifth year, and run by Civic Agenda, with key partners UK online centres, and supporters including Becta, BIS, BT, Business Link, Citizens Online, CLG, CTT, Digital 2020, Intel, Microsoft, NHS Choices, Nominet Trust, Ofcom, Peabody Trust, Race Online 2012, Regenerate IT, StartHere and Youthnet.
• Civic Agenda is a specialist conference development and organisation agency delivering public and social focussed conferences across the UK. Civic Agenda works with a range of partner organisations and draws on the expertise of sister organisations Civic Regeneration, Regenerate IT and Market Squared to support conferences that explore key areas of social, economic and community policy for an audience of the public, private and voluntary sector. For more information please visit www.civicagenda.co.uk or call 0207 378 0422.
• Directgov provides user-friendly, 24/7 information on all government services – including education, transport, tax, crime, the environment, employment – all in one place and in plain English.
• Directgov supports 18 government departments and has links to over 240 services in all 353 local authorities
• As well as being available on the website www.direct.gov.uk, which now attracts c 27 million visits a month, it can also be accessed on any internet-enabled mobile phone and on television.
• Directgov’s mobile service is available at http://m.direct.gov.uk or text MOBILE to 83377. People without internet access can use the Directgov mobile service to find their nearest UK online centre, for access and support: Text ONLINE to 83377
• In June 2009, the site received its 250,000,000th visit.  www.direct.gov.uk ranked No. 2 based on market share of visits among all United Kingdom websites in the Hitwise Government - National industry
• Please note: Directgov is spelt as one word and with a lower case ‘g’
• Martha Lane Fox was appointed independent Champion for Digital Inclusion in June 2009. Race Online 2012 is a national challenge to give four+ million socially and digitally excluded people the opportunity to get online by the London Olympics. (www. raceonline2012.org)

Contacts

NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk