Digital Inclusion with Volunteering

<< Background >>The need for this project arises from the experience lived by non-profit organizations and operators during the closures of the pandemic period, in particular from the consequences generated by the acceleration of digitalisation for citizens of the most vulnerable groups. Digital illiteracy, the lack of tools and skills have increased the risk of social exclusion for many individuals and families across Europe. These are people with cross-sectional characteristics by origin, gender, age and level of study. The partnership organizations intercept, to varying degrees and in different ways, citizens at risk of social exclusion for cultural, social, economic and finally digital reasons. The project aimed to provide tools and responses to citizens and social workers to promote digital access to services and opportunities, implementing citizenship skills digital of direct beneficiaries and indirect beneficiaries. In fact, the need has emerged to organize information in order to make it more usable and to work to accompany the activation of an educational process aimed at becoming familiar with digital tools.<< Objectives >>By implementing the project we want to provide beneficiaries with a constantly updated container in which to find all the necessary information to access the services. Organized into sections, the database offers a collection of the main services present in the area with detailed information regarding the organization, objectives, and access methods. The database is also a tool of fundamental importance for the operators of the associations they deal with people in difficulty and at risk of social exclusion. The construction and design of the database enabled the project partners to exchange and explore the needs of individual contexts while at a territorial level, they have led to the strengthening and implementation of network ties and cooperation in the different contexts involved. The project will be further implemented beyond the expected deadline through the signing of local agreements (some already in place, others in the process of subscription) which will involve associations, cooperatives, NGOs, and public bodies to organize the functions of the database in such a way that increasingly respond to the needs of operators and final beneficiaries.<< Implementation >>The project partners worked on mapping the services of each context through direct contact with bodies and associations, preparing the material necessary for data collection. This activity led to the building of network ties and relationships. Since the database was put online, the project partners have worked on the implementation of the services and the formalization of the relationships through the drafting of a collaboration agreement. Second-level entities (i.e. which have other entities and not natural persons as members) were involved – in Athens, Girona, and Florence. This has allowed an expansion of the subjects involved in the use, implementation, and dissemination of the database. The support of the municipal administrations was fundamental, particularly in Girona and Florence. Operators from the Social Services of the Municipality of Girona participated in the database design phase, explaining the needs from their point of view. The Municipality of Florence, through the social services department, is actively collaborating on the implementation of services and the dissemination of the database<< Results >>The concrete products of the project were: The D.I.V. Database Collaboration agreements with other bodies and organizations The database is a data collector that collects and organizes information regarding services - present in the territories where the partnership organizations are based - relating to all those areas that are aimed at supporting people in situation of fragility. There are 5 areas identified: environment, health, work, social, education/training. The database allows us to expand our knowledge of the community, verify existing activities, and monitor their dynamism and impact on the territory. The construction of the database was accompanied in the various territories involved by a continuous dialogue with the realities present and active in the contexts relating to social inclusion. In particular, the municipalities of Florence and Girona and numerous private social organizations in each country were involved. The mapping phase led to informal or formalized collaborations through the signing of collaboration agreements relating to the use, implementation, and management of the database