Hounslow Council has awarded £47,041 to the Ealing and Hounslow Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS).

The cash is to help local community and voluntary groups build their digital and IT programmes.

More than 52 per cent of charities do not have a digital strategy, according to the latest charity Digital Skills Report.

Charities and groups both face challenges around funding, skills and infrastructure, which in turn serves as barriers to digital and IT.

As part of the digital and IT capacity building programme, the CVS will support 200 groups to increase their digital capacity through a mix of one-to-one and group sessions.

A hundred digital volunteers will be recruited to help deliver the project and are also recruiting for a new role to lead this project.

Cllr Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Communities and Climate Emergency, said: "As part of the latest round of our recovery funding from the Thriving Communities: Hounslow Response Fund, we are pleased to be able to award this funding to the Ealing and Hounslow CVS.

"They are doing a fantastic job in supporting local groups through the pandemic, many of which have had to adapt the way they work over the past few months and are continuing to do so to ensure no one is left behind."

Gurpreet Rana, CEO of the Ealing and Hounslow CVS, said: "We are extremely pleased to have been awarded recovery funding from Hounslow Council for this core item of work that will begin shortly.

"The voluntary sector in Hounslow has proven to be robust and durable, filled with committed and passionate groups and services that deliver real change and value to residents' lives.

"Our goal going forward will be to support and enhance the way groups operate by supporting their digital delivery and plans to ensure groups remain strong and have the ability to adapt under new operating conditions."

If you are an organisation that would like support, please register your interest by contacting Iain Elliot on [email protected] or via Tel: 020 3096 4250 Mobile number: 0786 9376836.