Burmantofts Community Friends (BCF) (previously Burmantofts Senior Action) is a charity supporting older people aged 55+ living in Burmantofts and the surrounding areas. Working with older people, their families, carers and communities, they reduce social isolation and poverty amongst older people, enabling them to live independently in their own homes. Alongside BCF’s targeted work with older people, they also engage with families, carers, young people, and the diverse communities of East Leeds, through partnership and intergenerational projects.
The charity has 10 key objectives:
- Relieve social isolation and loneliness.
- Identify gaps in provisions for support.
- Support older people to live independently.
- Promote social inclusion for all communities.
- Improve digital inclusion and access to support.
- Try to improve the environment where older people live.
- Be an open and friendly place for local people to drop in.
- Reduce the burden on NHS services with early intervention community care.
- Work with partner organisations who bring additional resources to the area.
- Be a force for good, championing the wishes and needs of older people.
With the support of 100% Digital Leeds, BCF have embedded support for digital inclusion across their programme and now see themselves as a one-stop centre to help older people gain access to digital services.
With funding from various sources including Leeds Digital Inclusion Fund, and most recently a social value grant from Fujitsu, BCF employ an Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker to provide advice and practical support to older people at their community centre, or in people’s homes for those who are housebound or unable to attend the centre. The worker delivers outreach with a focus on supporting people to improve the digital skills and confidence needed to independently engage with wider services. Alongside skills support, the organisation runs a tablet lending library and gifts SIMs with free data via Good Things Foundation’s National Databank.
Burmantofts Community Friends recognise that, for many of their members, lack of trust in people, tools, and services is a significant barrier to engagement. The organisation focuses on building trusted relationships with members, in a space that that members know and where they feel safe. They take a person-centred approach, encouraging members to see digital as an enabler to the things that are important to them. They also take a ‘stealth’ approach to digital engagement, often using ‘low stakes’ creative activities linked to hobbies and interests to encourage members to take their first steps with digital.
As a result, BCF’s initiatives such as their Breakfast and Browser group – a digitally embedded breakfast club, where members can enjoy a hot meal and a conversation with friends, while engaging with devices and online services in a casual environment -have seen massive impact. These activities have provided a welcoming space, a supportive atmosphere and the one-to-one input that BCF have identified as crucial to empowering older people to navigate the digital world effectively.
“Digital engagement matters for older people because it’s not just about technology, it’s about connection, independence, and dignity. Being able to video call a grandchild, manage a GP appointment online, or check a bank balance without relying on someone else isn’t a luxury, it’s a basic part of participating in today’s world. When older people are excluded from that, they’re excluded from more than just the internet – they’re cut off from services, from community, and often from the people they love most.
“Everyone deserves the same opportunities and chances, regardless of age. Older people shouldn’t be left behind simply because the world moved faster than the support did. With the right encouragement, patience, and a safe space to learn, we see time and again that older people are just as capable and curious as anyone else – they just need the door held open. That’s what BCF is here to do.”
CEO, Burmantofts Community Friends
The impact of poverty and digital exclusion
The older people on whom BCF focus their support often have limited social opportunities. Many members are living with loneliness, isolation, long-term health conditions, lack of friends or family support, and have been severely impacted by the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
Burmantofts and Richmond Hill is the neighbourhood with the lowest average household income in Leeds. 88% of people in the Burmantofts and Richmond Hill ward live in the most deprived 10% of England. 34.2% of people in the ward are claiming Universal Credit, compared to an average of 16.8% in Leeds. 43% of housing in the ward is social rented, which is twice the Leeds average. 25% of households are experiencing fuel poverty. In 2019 the estimated proportion of pension claimants in Burmantofts and Richmond Hill was 66.4% indicating that the ward has a higher concentration of older people relying on pensions.
Burmantofts and Richmond Hill has the 4th highest mortality rate in the city, significantly higher than the rest of Leeds. The life expectancy for males is 73 years (4 years lower than the Leeds average) and 77 years for women (5 years lower than the Leeds average). Cancers are the most common cause of death in all ages in Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, and the ward rates 2nd highest in the city for female premature deaths due to cancer. The ward has the highest rates of COPD in the city, almost double the rate of Leeds as a whole, and the second highest rates of smoking. There are also high rates of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and dementia.
These health and social inequalities are compounded by digital exclusion. The older people supported by Burmantofts Community Friends often struggle to afford smartphones and other digital devices, or reliable wifi and data. Many have no experience of digital and are apprehensive about exploring the use of digital tools and services to access benefits, manage their health, and stay in touch with support networks. This leaves members facing barriers to both accessing services and social opportunities.
“Many of the older people BCF works with have limited to no access to data or equipment, and that is without factoring in the motivation, need or confidence to approach a subject which can be daunting and frightening.
“When this coincides with Burmantofts being an area of high social deprivation and social challenge, this compounds the issue of digital inclusion. Through our work in the community, we estimate 95% of BCF members either weren’t or are currently not digitally engaged.”
CEO, Burmantofts Community Friends
Embedding digital inclusion support across the organisation’s programme
Employing an Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker
“My role fits into three parts. When new people come into the organisation, I sign them up and try to get them engaged in different parts of the organisation or different offers that we have. I also then provide some digital support through Breakfast Browsers and through our drop-in on a Tuesday. The third part of it is helping people, not just with digital enquiries, but also benefits and maximising their incomes as well.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
In 2022 and 2023 Burmantofts Community Friends received two grants of £10,000 via the Leeds Digital Inclusion Fund. This funding allowed BCF to employ an Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker. The Worker provides digital skills support as an integral part of outreach activity, positioning digital as an enabler to wider outcomes such as health and wellbeing. They provide person-centred support to members which includes support to access the correct benefits, blue badges, travel passes, housing assistance, and utility advice. They also work in partnership with health organisations local GPs and pharmacies, promoting healthy life choices, supporting access to health appointments, and providing services and advice that support local members to make informed choices about their lives and promote independent living
“Our Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker focuses on providing advice and practical support to older people at our social centre, via external visits to those who are housebound or unable to attend our offices, and via telephone and Zoom support.
“We have provided both individual and group digital support, which includes support with benefits, blue badges, travel passes, promoting healthy life choices, access to games, quizzes, entertainment, help with health appointments, housing assistance, utility advice, email and video calls and more.
“Our outreach approach is crucial in engaging new members who lack social confidence, and once a relationship is built, the older person builds their confidence to engage further with us.”
CEO, Burmantofts Community Friends
“I was at a residential living place and a lady said, ‘I won’t be able to contact the doctors anymore. There were signs up saying you have to go on the app and you have to book your appointment digitally’. And so she was fearful that she won’t be able to reach a doctor. And for some older people, they won’t reach out, they won’t engage, because they just don’t want to, or they have that fear.
“I think for us, that is what digital inclusion is, it’s trying to get to those people so that they will engage and they will be supported. We are an organisation that people trust. They trust us, and they come in, and they know that they’re going to be welcomed and treated well.
“Members have that confidence because they know our staff and we’re in that safe space. That’s when they’re most engaged – when they’re with their friends, and with us, because they feel that connection and they feel safe. Then they feel relaxed enough to engage with each other and try new things.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
“I was contacted by the outreach worker through Covid. Before that, I had three and a half months in hospital, and I’d just come out. It was a neighbour who’d got her number, and I phoned her, and she phoned me once a fortnight.
“We’d be on the phone for nearly an hour, just literally talking about this, that, and the other. When Burmantofts Community Friends opened up again, I came down to their centre. I’ve joined all these different groups like Breakfast and Browsers and Wednesday Lunch Club. It’s been great, and I’ve made new friends.”
Member, Burmantofts Community Friends
Breakfast and Browsers
Funding from the Leeds Digital Inclusion Fund also supported Burmantofts Community Friends to launch ‘Breakfast and Browsers’, a digitally embedded breakfast club, where members can enjoy a hot meal and a conversation with friends, while engaging with devices and online services in a casual environment.
Members who attend Breakfast and Browers are under no pressure to engage with the digital element of the session. For many attendees, the initial draw is the promise of a free breakfast and the company of friends.
“If people just want to come for breakfast, that’s fair enough, but we come for breakfast and digital support, and that’s what we’re called, Breakfast and Browsers. Somebody who’s not involved in the digital elements might see someone else doing it and think, ‘Ooh, I might have a go at that’, and hopefully it’ll rub off on them.”
Member, Burmantofts Community Friends
Once individual members have settled into the group the Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker and other group attendees gently encourage the member to begin engaging with digital at their own pace, and in an enjoyable ‘low stakes’ context.
Members are given one-to-one support to explore digital tools related to their personal hobbies and interests. This method of identifying a particular pastime enjoyed by an individual, then introducing related digital tools, means members take their first steps with digital in the context of something they find enjoyable, and they immediately see personal benefit.
“One member is a keen birdwatcher and is often photographing birds. She’s got a little app on her phone now that lets her identify the birdsong, and identify which bird is singing, which is brilliant. So I end up spending time learning from them, it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing, can I have a go?’”.
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
The Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker introduces group projects to the Breakfast and Browsers sessions, focusing on creative projects likely to be of interest to all members. Examples include the group’s involvement in supporting older people’s digital confidence with University of Leeds’s Writing Back project, an intergenerational digital pen pal project which pairs students at the University of Leeds with older residents across Yorkshire to exchange emails, and a Breakfast and Browsers group trip to Wetherspoons where members were shown how to order their own breakfasts via the Wetherspoons QR code and app.
“We did a project where we asked people to just reflect on their childhood, and where they grew up, and things like that, and we encouraged them to use Google to find old photos of the streets or the areas they grew up in. So it got them using technology for something they enjoyed and were interested in. Rather than, ‘I need to use it, and I hate it, it’s ‘Let’s see what we can find’. We put a positive spin on it, and that’s what makes it really successful.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
Members are encouraged to form new friendships and support each other by chatting about how they use digital tools and the difference this makes for them, as well as helping to upskill others.
“We had a session on Instagram a couple of weeks ago and one of our members was saying, ‘Oh, right, I’m on Instagram, I’m on it’. And then another member was saying, ‘Oh, well, how do you get me on it?’ and they were navigating it as a group.
“They like to help each other and they will say, ‘How do you go on with that?’ There is a lot of companionship, it’s not just, ‘This is my device, I’m not going to share it’. They’re all chatting to each other about, ‘Oh, have you tried this? And have you done that?’
“I think that’s one of the benefits of having a group session, because you do form friendships. Now, when they go away, if they’ve got a question, they have the opportunity to message each other or reach out and say, ‘How did we do that? Can you just let me know?’ or ‘I’m struggling posting this picture, can you remember how we did it?’ They can go away and do it themselves without actually needing us because they’ve got that friendship and connection.
“We’ve got a WhatsApp group as well, so if any of the members have got a question, they can pop it in there and anyone can come on and say, ‘Oh, you do it this way’ or ‘I can help you if you come to lunch group on Thursday’. So they can always help each other constantly by having that technology and having that communication with each other.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
The Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker also uses tools such as Learn My Way – Good Things Foundation’s free digital skills online learning platform – to bring more structured digital skills learning into Breakfast and Browsers sessions.
“I’ve had a lot of feedback from Breakfast Browsers that they really enjoyed doing Learn My Way. I think the reason they enjoyed it was because it was set activities, it was online and the staff were there to support them through it. They like it being structured.
“For example, part one is looking at emails. Part two might be Facebook and social media. Part three might be WhatsApp. They liked the idea of it being a course that they can join.
“We do have files from previous Learn My Way and it shows every time they did a task or they ticked it, or when they wrote what they did and how they did it, so they could see that progression.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
The group also occasionally invite visitors to Breakfast and Browers. To celebrate Get Online Week 2025, Good Things Foundation’s annual digital inclusion campaign, 100% Digital Leeds and NHS England worked in partnership to increase support for people in Leeds to use the NHS app.
NHS England’s NHS app team used their employer-supported volunteering hours to deliver NHS app digital support sessions with four third sector partner organisations in Leeds, including BCF. The NHS app volunteers attended Breakfast and Browsers to share information on navigating the different features of the app, as well as a step-by-step walkthrough of the log in process, including how to access a security code sent via email without having to leave the app. They also showed people how to log in on other devices via the browser version, which has the same features as the app version.
Many Breakfast and Browsers members had already signed up and were using the NHS app after receiving regular support from the staff at BCF.
“It was good to meet the NHS app team and hear more about the app. People fed back to them about how they use it and the features they’ve found challenging. We have lots of members who attend our lunch club that would benefit from help with it and would love a future visit from the team.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
Over time, Breakfast and Browsers became so popular that BCF needed to hire a local venue with more space.
“Moving to a bigger space for our Breakfast and Browsers group has brought a significant improvement in how our activities run.
“The additional room has allowed us to set up dedicated areas for different projects, which makes it easier for participants to focus and engage in their work. The increased space has also facilitated better organisation, allowing us to create a more comfortable and welcoming environment for everyone involved.
“This change has been especially beneficial as it has made it easier to accommodate more members, fostering a sense of community, collaboration and friendship.”
CEO, Burmantofts Community Friends
Sharing learning via Leeds Arts & Culture Digital Inclusion Pilot
In 2025, 100% Digital Leeds worked with the University of Sheffield on a research project funded by Arts Council England, exploring whether participation in digital arts and culture could serve as an initial first step for older people to become more confident with a broader range of digital tools and services. As part of the project, 100% Digital Leeds developed a toolkit advising arts and culture organisations, older people’s services, and digital inclusion specialists on how they can collaborate and embed digital elements into creative activities.
Burmantofts Community Friends were invited to provide a case study, sharing their knowledge as a community organisation who have seen the value in addressing digital inclusion through a cultural lens, demonstrating how arts and culture can act as a ‘perfect hook’ to engage older people in digital inclusion. The case study gives an overview of BCF’s creative approaches to supporting digital skills and confidence. This includes work with Skippko, who ran digital photography workshops for members, with lessons around the storing, printing and sharing of digital images. They also used Canva to create an exhibition of members’ own personal histories, using digital devices to interview and record each other.
“We’ve done different projects, we’ve done online shopping, comparison sites, we’ve been on Learn My Way which is a site that you can go on and learn different things. And then there’s Canva, which we do presentations on, when we have parties and things. I did know a little bit, but since I’ve been coming here, I’m not having to ask family for advice. You’re never too old to learn. And you find that the more we do in group, the more we use it at home, as well.”
Member, Burmantofts Community Friends
“One of our members did a lot of woodwork and craft, so will often look up images like a football club logo online, so then he can draw it or paint it. So it’s about finding out what their hobbies and interests are and how we can help them with that, but then on the flip side, we try and think about what digital skills might be useful for them, that they don’t know about.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
Providing access to digital equipment
In 2024, BCF received a capital grant from UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which they used to purchase phones, laptops, tablets and accessories for their members who were experiencing a lack of digital equipment as a barrier to engaging with digital.
“The digital equipment given to us through this support has enabled BCF to enhance our charity’s reach, efficiency, and impact. It has enabled digital support for older people, helped reduce social isolation, boost confidence, and provided better access to essential services and entertainment. This has led to greater independence and a higher quality of life.
“The equipment has helped the people we support by increasing their digital inclusion, enabling them to stay connected, access essential services, and build confidence online. With one-to-one support, they have learned basic skills alongside how to use video calls to reduce isolation, manage healthcare and banking online, and explore new interests.
“This independence improves their quality of life, helping them do what matters most, whether it’s keeping in touch with family, shopping online, or enjoying digital entertainment.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
Social value support
Burmantofts Community Friends relies on continued external funding and resources to support the delivery of their digital inclusion offer. The organisation is committed to delivering digital skills sessions as they can see the benefit to their community but they face financial challenges to ongoing delivery.
“One thing that does stop us doing more is the funding. I would love to have loads of iPads that we can get out and be creative, arts and crafts and activities on different cultures. But unfortunately, we just don’t have that funding to do that.
“When you’re asking members to come in with their own devices, sometimes they have a basic phone, sometimes they don’t really have a good phone that can do that kind of artwork or support a particular app. It is a hard balance on what we can do and what we really want to do with them because it’s just the funding, the equipment and resources that limit us.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
With the support of 100% Digital Leeds, Burmantofts Community Friends has received support from businesses such as Accenture, Axiologik, Sky, and Fujitsu.
Employer supported volunteering from Accenture
In 2023, 100% Digital Leeds, Leeds Community Foundation, Voluntary Action Leeds, and Leeds Digital Ball worked together to convene a roundtable discussion to explore how skills within the tech and digital sector could be passed into the community sector to help address the digital divide. At the roundtable, BCF formed a partnership with Accenture, who helped them with skills and capacity as part of their Corporate Social Volunteering scheme.
The volunteers helped the organisation to provide more one-to-one support to learners along with faster, more effective guidance on technical troubleshooting. The volunteers also helped the Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker to develop their own digital skills and confidence to better support BCF’s members. Accenture’s commitment to supporting Burmantofts Community Friends over a significant length of time, and providing the same volunteers week on week, allowed the volunteers and members to form trusted relationships, making members feel comfortable asking for help without fear of judgement. This support with skills and capacity meant Burmantofts Community Friends have been able to take a more creative approach to digital inclusion, designing and delivering projects that are meaningful and engaging for members who otherwise might be reluctant to try digital.
“I wouldn’t be able to survive doing this type of digital work without the volunteers, because you need a lot of time for each individual person. Sometimes people find doing new things stressful, and with the volunteers we have extra capacity that means we’re able to give people the support they need.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
“I’ve worked on systems for the NHS or GP booking systems and they’re brilliant, but if you’ve had no training or practice and experience, you’re becoming increasingly excluded from that, and that’s horrible for people. They’re exactly the people who would get the most out of digital services, if they don’t have to walk to the post office or they don’t have to get a bus into town to go to the nearest bank. They’d get the most out of it but they’re the ones excluded.”
Full Stack Engineering Associate Manager, Accenture
Employer supported volunteering from Axiologik
In 2025100% Digital Leeds invited BCF to the 2025 Digital Volunteering Matchmaking Event, hosted by Leeds Digital Volunteering Partnership. The matchmaking event’s aim is to foster collaboration between Leeds’s charity and tech sectors, increasing the city’s capacity to support digital inclusion.
At the matchmaking event BCF connected with Leeds tech company Axiologik, who had previously supported digital inclusion sessions at Southlands Retirement Apartments. The organisation was keen to work with organisations in Leeds through its Employee Volunteering Programme, allowing them to see the benefits for both the people they support and the organisation itself. They have developed their relationship with BCF and now offer once-a-month digital skills sessions. This has increased capacity for digital delivery for BCF and enabled Axiologik staff to see the positive impact their support has on BCF’s members through increased digital skills and confidence.
Employer supported volunteering, wifi and equipment from Sky
BCF have also developed a long-term relationship with Sky. Staff from Sky attend sessions weekly, supporting with various topics such as the NHS app and transport apps. Sky also supports BCF with free public wifi for local residents to use, funding towards group activities, and recycled digital equipment.
“If there’s any opportunities where people can come in and teach or upskill our members, we will always approach them. Because we can do the basic stuff or help people as much as we can, but sometimes there are things that we can’t do – but that doesn’t mean it should stop us.
“We have Sky volunteers with us, they’re from the call centre and the engineering team, they can come and help and they have that knowledge to give us. Sky has the opportunity for staff to do volunteer days in their policy, so any member of staff can request to volunteer. And then sometimes they do fund us as well.”
Outreach and Digital Engagement Worker, Burmantofts Community Friends
“I work in the IT field, so I feel like I’ve got something to offer to them. And on the flip side, it’s good for me, because since Covid I work from home. Other than seeing my partner every day I rarely see anyone. So this is absolutely brilliant for me, it’s getting out, it’s seeing people again.”
Sky volunteer
Funding from Fujitsu
In 2026, Burmantofts Community Friends was awarded a grant from Fujitsu, via their social value commitment to Leeds City Council. BCF has used this funding to create a role of Engagement Worker (Membership and Digital), which, for the digital element of the role, will focus on four main deliverables:
- Supporting the weekly Breakfast and Browsers group, with themed sessions and guest talks.
- Offering one-to-one drop-in support at a local Leeds City Council Community Hub.
- Running a loan and gifting library for tech devices.
- Creating a bespoke digital learning course.
This much needed financial support means Burmantofts Community Friends continues to have the staff capacity to deliver and expand on the digital inclusion support from which so many members benefit.
Next Steps
Burmantofts Community Friends continues to seek partnerships to support their groups with digital engagement, with an eye on their newer activities such as training courses and one-to-one drop-ins. They are also seeking support and knowledge around CiviCRM databases and are interested in exploring the possibility of developing a BCF app for their members. 100% Digital Leeds will continue to support BCF with their digital inclusion aims and objectives.
Case Studies
Member W
“Member W had just come out of being in hospital for over three months during Covid when we engaged with them. A member of staff phoned them every fortnight. When the doors opened again they joined multiple groups including the digital skills group. They did a photography project where they were able to practice their digital skills and are encouraged keep in touch with each other digitally. Member W now uses Google to look up information, including health information to make sure that they are informed before going to the chemist or the doctors. They have also been supported to do online banking, which has been useful as the local banks were closing. They use apps for identifying birds and plants and also to do online shopping and contact their local councillors.”
Member X
“Member X approached us during what she described as the lowest point in her life. Although she was still employed, her illness had rendered her unable to work. One of her primary concerns was obtaining support in claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and managing her Universal Credit (UC) claim online. Due to her lack of confidence in navigating the digital realm, she found these tasks particularly challenging. We were able to assist her in applying for PIP and managing her UC claim, providing the necessary ongoing support to ensure she felt secure and informed throughout the process. With our help, Member X’s circumstances began to improve significantly. She has now become an active member of BCF and regularly attends our group sessions. The transformation has been remarkable; from feeling overwhelmed and isolated, she now enjoys a renewed sense of confidence and empowerment. She credits our team for this positive change, expressing gratitude for the consistent support and guidance we offered her. Today, Member X is capable of managing daily tasks that once seemed insurmountable, such as handling bills and keeping track of upcoming appointments. She frequently shares that discovering our organisation at her lowest point was a turning point in her life. With the support of BCF and our dedicated team, she has not only regained control over her financial and administrative responsibilities but also found a supportive community that has enriched her life in countless ways.”
Member Y
“Member Y’s journey into the digital world began with a strong desire to overcome her initial apprehensions about getting online. Initially, she had little to no digital skills and
felt frightened by the idea of having wifi at home. Nonetheless, her determination to learn led her to attend all digital sessions, including both the Breakfast and Browser
sessions and the Digital Drop-in sessions. Her dedication to improving her digital literacy has been unwavering, and it has paid off significantly. With access to a tablet and being part of the national databank for phone top-ups, Member Y has made substantial progress. She has diligently completed numerous learning modules with Learn My Way, which has bolstered her confidence in using digital devices. This newfound expertise has been particularly crucial given her recent cancer diagnosis; she has learned to navigate the NHS app, which is vital for managing her health. Additionally, she regularly visits online support groups for her arthritis, finding
solace and information in these communities. Member Y’s enthusiasm for digital learning extends to participating in various projects and acquiring a wide range of skills,
Her story is a testament to the empowering nature of digital literacy and her incredible resilience and dedication to self-improvement.”