In a powerful display of community spirit and technological support, volunteers across Cambridgeshire are stepping up as Digital Champions, offering hands-on digital guidance to residents at their local Community Hubs. Recent feedback from our Champions at the Hubs at Haddenham and Meldreth showcases how tailored mentoring can bridge the digital divide, helping people feel connected, engaged and confident in an increasingly online world.

Spotlight on Haddenham Social Hub’s Digital Champions

At the heart of Haddenham’s vibrant Social Hub, the Digital Champions have become an invaluable resource for local residents. These volunteers help members in practical areas such as:

• improving their digital skills
• staying connected through email and social media with family and friends
• online shopping and everyday internet tasks

By offering patient one-to-one support, champions are not only enhancing confidence but are enabling community members to manage essential aspects of modern life independently. The warm  and friendly environment at the Social Hub, coupled with peer-led support, reduces anxiety around using technology. Volunteers guide individuals through step-by-step exercises, answer device-related questions and even help set up new accounts, all while fostering a sense of comfort and inclusion.

Meet Jak: Meldreth’s Digital Champion

Over in Meldreth, the spotlight shines on Jak, a volunteer Digital Champion at the Community Hub since August. Initially motivated by a simple desire to help, Jak has rapidly become the go-to tech mentor for a broad audience. Jak’s key contributions include assisting with:

• installing antivirus software
• navigating and managing annoying pop-ups
• using Facebook, WhatsApp and gaming platforms
• Windows 10 end-of-support queries
• And even helping with voice‑activated devices like Alexa, Chromebooks and Nintendo Switches

Beyond troubleshooting, Jak has leveraged Digital Unite’s Digital Champions Network, engaging in CPD‑certified courses to deepen his skills. He remarks:

“Being a Digital Champion at my local hub has been an enriching experience… I feel like I’m making a difference… It can even be a learning experience for me… I really appreciate being able to contribute to my community through this programme.”

 

Collaborative backbone and resources

The Digital Champions’ efforts are supported through a partnership between Cambridgeshire ACRE and Connecting Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire ACRE uses grant funding from Connecting Cambridgeshire to provide laptops and other digital devices to the champions to use in the Hubs. In addition, Cambridgeshire ACRE’s Community Wellbeing Administrator, Kate, circulates resource-rich monthly newsletters to the champions and signposts them to other useful resources such as the Learn My Way free online learning platform which is ideal for hub attendees.

Cambridgeshire ACRE’s digital skills pages offer further resources, including:

• Information about National Databank SIM cards
• Factsheets covering internet affordability and safety
• Curated guides linking to trusted e-learning platforms

The partnership highlights the importance of equipping volunteers with both equipment and educational tools – a coordinated approach that enables confident, informed digital inclusion.

Local impact and wider implications

The community benefits are clear:

• Increased digital confidence supports independent access to essential services – monetary, health-related and social.
• Stronger social connections, reduced isolation through skill-building and shared learning.
• Volunteer growth and development, as champions like Jak gain new competencies and accreditation.

 

Strategic momentum

Initiatives like Connecting Cambridgeshire’s Digital Hubs programme underscore the regional value of place-based support. Grants of up to £4,200 have helped community venues buy devices and improve connectivity, while training volunteers and staff to deliver digital support.

“By equipping these Hubs with devices and connectivity, and training local volunteers to become Digital Champions, we’re creating an accessible, trusted environment where people can build essential digital skills,” said Will Plant, Digital Inclusion Lead for Connecting Cambridgeshire.

 

Nurturing digital inclusion

Cambridgeshire ACRE and Connecting Cambridgeshire remain committed to expanding this initiative through:

• scaling up volunteer digital champion recruitment
• enhancing learning resources and formal accreditation pathways
• encouraging more community hubs to join the network and receive support
• monitoring outcomes including improved confidence, usage rates and social cohesion

As digital life becomes ever more essential, initiatives like those at the Haddenham and Meldreth Hubs exemplify how local, volunteer-led programmes are crucial. They foster empowerment, independence and community bonds, all through the simple yet profound power of connection and shared knowledge.

Celebrating our local heroes

The story of the Digital Champions at Haddenham and Meldreth’s Community Hubs is a testament to how volunteering can meet community need in a transformative way. As the Digital Champions continue to share their skills at local hubs, Cambridgeshire’s rural communities are not only becoming more digitally inclusive, they’re becoming stronger, more connected and more confident.

For anyone seeking help with digital matters – or interested in stepping forward as a Digital Champion – reach out to Cambridgeshire ACRE to find your nearest hub, access free training, and become part of this growing movement.