Partner Profile: Fujitsu – 100% Digital Leeds

As part of our work to leverage tech sector support for digital inclusion, 100% Digital Leeds is building cross-sector partnerships that help the city’s third sector organisations benefit from social value and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investment.

100% Digital Leeds has worked with Fujitsu to find opportunities that maximise the impact of Fujitsu’s ESG commitment to Leeds City Council. 100% Digital Leeds has linked Fujitsu with a range of third sector organisations in need of funding or digital equipment to develop and deliver digital inclusion interventions across the city.

To date, with the help of 100% Digital Leeds, Fujitsu has supported two community organisations with grants totalling £20,000, and a further 12 with a total of 100 pieces of reconditioned digital equipment, to the value of over £15,500. The donations have helped those community organisations to build their capacity to support thousands of Leeds resident with digital inclusion, for a wide range of outcomes.

“Out of all the social value commitments that we’ve got with Leeds on this particular contract, the ones that we are working on with 100% Digital Leeds have been easier to achieve. The relationship has been so collaborative, and the team has opened doors that have enabled us to see real impact from our work. Partnering with 100% Digital Leeds has 100% made our job easier, effectively and efficiently delivering the digital inclusion commitments that we said we would in our contract.”

Ian Woolacott, Delivery Executive, Fujitsu UK&I

“When it comes to working with clients to deliver social value collaboratively, we know it’s our responsibility to deliver. However, to achieve meaningful impact in communities, we need to be able to engage effectively with community organisations. In this case, the KPIs were focused on digital inclusion, and we were fortunate to be connected with a team like 100% Digital Leeds, where digital inclusion is their professional ‘bread and butter’.

“100% Digital Leeds is well connected to Leeds’ third sector and has acted as a bridge between Fujitsu and the community. They have been able to advise us, right down to a grassroots level, on where support is most needed, and then introduce us to the organisations best placed to benefit from it.

“As a global organisation, our team isn’t based in Leeds and we’re not from the area. Having 100% Digital Leeds act as a trusted connector has therefore been invaluable, ensuring our support and resources are directed to the right places and deliver the greatest possible impact.”

Amern Warinch, Social Value Delivery Lead, Fujitsu UK&I

Social value at Fujitsu

At Fujitsu, social value drives their mission to use technology for meaningful societal change. Fujitsu has partnered with private and public sector organisations for years, embedding social value into their operations to enhance digital inclusion, sustainability, and community well-being. Their commitment ensures that technology enriches lives and fosters a brighter future for everyone. Fujitsu believe in harnessing the power of technology to create meaningful social value that enriches lives and drives progress. With a commitment to sustainability, diversity, and ethical business practices, they strive to make a positive difference in the world.

“We’re a people-centric organisation, and from a social value perspective that means staying closely connected to local communities and understanding where our support can make a meaningful difference.

“As a technology company, digital inclusion is an important area for us. Working with 100% Digital Leeds has helped us better understand local needs and connect with the right community organisations and networks.

“Through that collaboration, we’ve been able to direct our investment, expertise and partnerships in a more targeted way, and the feedback we’ve received suggests this has supported wider community wellbeing, sustainability and local prosperity.”

Amern Warinch, Social Value Delivery Lead, Fujitsu UK&I

Grants to increase the capacity of third sector organisations to deliver digital inclusion interventions

Fujitsu has supported two community organisations with grants totalling £20,000. The funding has enabled the organisations to fund staff to continue and expand on their existing digital inclusion programmes.

Burmantofts Community Friends

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.

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. The average household income in Burmantofts and Richmond Hill is £32,140, the second lowest across Leeds wards. 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.

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.

BCF have a well-established digital inclusion programme. In 2026, Burmantofts Community Friends was awarded a £15,000 grant from Fujitsu. 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 lending 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 their digital inclusion offer, from which so many members benefit.

“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.”

Burmantofts Community Friends

The Highrise Project

The Highrise Project is a Community Interest Company based in Armley, established to explore the experiences and social connections of people in and around high-rise buildings and council-built estates. The organisation uses art and creativity as a means for people from marginalised communities to share their stories and develop new skills. Their participants include high-rise tenants, people from refugee and migrant communities, unemployed people, and those facing mental and physical health challenges.

50% of the Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Armley fall in the 10% most economically deprived area in England. The average household income in Armley is £33,680, the fourth lowest across Leeds wards. Many of the people The Highrise Project work with are from low-income families, and do not have the financial resources to purchase tablets or laptops, or the data and wifi needed to get online. Even if an individual has access to a device and internet connectivity, they may not have the skills or experience to confidently use digital tools and services. Language barriers, disabilities, and health issues, including poor mental health, are further barriers to digital access. All of this means that the communities that The Highrise Project works with can feel left behind and overwhelmed by the constantly changing digital landscape.

The Highrise Project have a well-established digital inclusion offer. In 2025 The Highrise Project was awarded a £5,000 grant from Fujitsu. This funding meant The Highrise Project could expand the remit of their Creative Digital Workshop Support Officer through increased hours. This additional capacity has meant that workshops can run more effectively and efficiently, with one-to-one digital support available to participants:

“Our Creative Digital Workshop Support Officer helps people to access creative digital apps like Procreate and platforms like Etsy and Red Bubble. She also supports them to develop basic digital skills, like understanding how an iPad works, uploading and downloading files, internet safety, and understanding fair use of images. When we’re running workshops, our Creative Digital Workshop Support Officer is there to help people who are struggling with those basic skills and helping them to keep up with the workshops.”

Co-founder, The Highrise Project

This additional capacity means The Highrise Project has also been able to run more workshops with themes designed to engage participants previously reluctant to explore digital tools. This approach has been effective at engaging participants with low digital confidence and motivation, leading to increased participant take-up.

“One of our participants is creative, but she’s never done digital work. She has an iPad, but she’d never used it, and she’d been very opposed to using digital. Having a Support Officer allowed us to run a workshop which combined bookbinding with digital tools. With support and encouragement from the Support Officer she learned how to use Canva and Procreate and how to upload images. Things that she was absolutely opposed to doing, she’s now really embraced, just by having support and space for five weeks. She said, ‘I’m glad I came on this course because now I can use digital tools and I can see the benefits of it’.”

Co-founder, The Highrise Project

Retention of the Creative Digital Workshop Support Officer role has also increased capacity for the team more generally, allowing The Highrise Project to secure further funding.

“The funding has been amazing because we can continue to work with the Creative Digital Workshop Support Officer and focus on running workshops while they focus on digital inclusion. It means that we have more scope to go out into the community because we have a bigger team. We’ve also been awarded additional funding from other sources to support the work. It’s been a bit of a struggle this year with funding, but it’s always easier to apply for funding when you have ongoing work that you can build upon.”

Co-founder, The Highrise Project

Gifting digital equipment to third sector organisations supporting digital inclusion

Fujitsu has supported 12 community organisations with a total of 100 pieces of reconditioned digital equipment, with a combined value of over £15,500. This work has been facilitated by circular IT specialists Reconome, who worked with Fujitsu and 100% Digital Leeds to procure the right devices to support digital inclusion, ensuring value for money and maximum social impact.

The equipment donations have helped those community organisations to build their capacity to support thousands of Leeds resident with digital inclusion, for a wide range of outcomes.

The 12 organisations in receipt of equipment donations are:

Afrikindness
BEAT
Canopy
Complete Woman
Leeds Federated Housing
MEMEC
MHA
Newcomer Aid Network
RVS
Touchstone
Women’s Whispers

Afrikindness

Afrikindness is a charity dedicated to nurturing positive racial identity and social-emotional development in racially marginalised children and young people. They support families from African and ethnically diverse communities in Leeds. Their mission is to help these individuals reach their full potential. Run by passionate volunteers, Afrikindness offers impactful programs including parent training, children’s academies, and community engagement initiatives.

Afrikindness support families across the areas of:

Little London and Woodhouse, where the average household income is £34,883, the fifth lowest across Leeds wards.
Gipton and Harehills, where the average household income is £30,467, the lowest across Leeds wards. 76% of LSOAs in the Gipton and Harehills ward are in the 10% most deprived areas of England.
The Chapeltown area of the Chapel Allerton ward. 30% of LSOAs in the Chapel Allerton ward are in the 10% most deprived areas of England, the majority of LSOAs sit within the Chapeltown area of the ward.

Afrikindness’s work positions digital inclusion as an enabler to improving outcomes for African families by embedding support for improved digital skills, confidence, and access across their programme. Afrikindness delivers digital inclusion through a holistic, community-centred approach, recognising that digital skills development is most effective when combined with practical support that addresses wider social and economic challenges faced by families.

Fujitsu donated 15 reconditioned laptops to Afrikindness. Before this, the organisation had no equipment to deliver digital skills sessions, meaning they were limited to holding sessions in Libraries and Community Hubs, making use of the service’s public access computers. The donation of laptops has enabled Afrikindness to expand their digital skills delivery across a wider range of community spaces, allowing the organisation much more flexibility.

“Having access to a bank of laptops has significantly increased our capacity to deliver digital inclusion support. We are now able to continue delivering structured digital skills training to parents, run more online and hybrid sessions, support families with practical, hands-on learning and reach participants who were previously unable to engage.

“The equipment has also helped us move from awareness to sustained engagement, allowing parents to practise what they learn in real time and build long-term confidence.

“The provision of digital equipment has not only improved access but has strengthened participation, learning outcomes, and our ability as an organisation to deliver meaningful and ongoing digital inclusion support within the community.”

Afrikindness

Afrikindess have used the laptops to deliver digital skills courses including beginner sessions suitable for parents with little or no experience of using digital devices, a Teen Digital Skills Workshop, and a course on tackling misinformation and disinformation which included a parent-teen interactive learning session co-facilitated with young people. The organisation is now developing both intermediate and advanced digital skills courses, supporting families to continue their digital skills development.

To date Afrikindness have supported over 100 families through digital awareness sessions and one-to-one support. 85% of participants reported feeling more confident using digital devices and online services after completing the programme.

“Before the sessions, I was scared of even opening my laptop. Now I log in confidently, help my child find GCSEPod videos, and even use the internet safely. This training has changed my life, and I will still continue with the training.”

Learner, Afrikindness

BEAT

BEAT is a constituted charitable organisation which developed out of the HAVA (Hawksworth, Abbeydales and Vesper Area) Big Local project as its legacy. Hawksworth Wood is economically deprived with limited community infrastructure, however a community rich in relationships, kindness, and spirit. Its history as a deprived area has fuelled residents’ advocacy and support for each other and their love of their ‘home’. BEAT’s vision and purpose is to build on the work initiated by HAVA in Hawksworth Wood to create and embed a thriving, engaged and hopeful community, with equity, sustainability, cohesion, and empowerment at its core. The organisation’s strategic aims include to facilitate services and activities for community benefit and to support the community with learning, training, employment and the arts, for improved health and wellbeing, education and employment, and community infrastructure.

Fujitsu donated five tablets and five Chromebooks to BEAT. The organisation is at the start of their digital inclusion journey and is exploring how they can offer digital access and skills support in a way that closely aligns with the outcomes the community would like to see.

“Hawksworth Wood is an area which feels quite cut off from the rest of the world. A lot of the residents feel really let down and left behind. There’s a real distrust with wider society and they don’t feel listened to. There’s so much distrust around institutions and services going online. People feel like they’re almost trying to make it harder for them to access things rather than streamlining and make it more efficient.

“So, to be able to give residents the tools to be able to access those institutions, is really important. We want to take some of the fear out of it, and make people feel more included in society. That is something that our residents specifically desperately need, because to grow up feeling like society doesn’t think you’re important is so traumatic and exhausting for our community. The outcomes of that on their health, on their social interactions, on their self-worth and aspirations, is huge.

“To be able to provide opportunities for residents to get online to access that wider world, to access information, and to access local services, such as council services, health services, and education provision, is massive.”

BEAT

As well as supporting improved digital access, skills, and confidence for the residents of Hawksworth Wood, BEAT have found having a bank of digital equipment has supported the organisation to secure the funding, resources, and partnerships needed to design and deliver projects targeting some of the most vulnerable members of society.

“Having access to a bank of digital equipment has already been so helpful for us as an organisation still towards the start of our development journey. Not only do we have the equipment there and ready to use in our existing projects, it also works basically as match funding in funding bids for future projects.

“If we didn’t have equipment, we would have had to include costings for laptops and tablets in all of our recent funding bids, where equipment is needed to deliver the project. By having the equipment already there, we’re able to demonstrate localised investment already in place, and reduce costs associated with the project. Funders are then more likely to give us wider funding. So the equipment is kickstarting our options to apply for project funding, as well as kickstarting digital support for local people.

“More project funding means that we can then target specific vulnerable groups that we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise target. For example, we want to run free counselling sessions, but there’s no way funding would stretch to affording professional counselling services. We’ve now got somebody who’s willing to give their time online at no cost, and because we have the devices we can take them up on the offer and the project is cost neutral to the organisation, which is amazing.”

BEAT

Leeds Federated Housing

Leeds Federated Housing is a housing association and not-for-profit Community Benefit Association with around 5,000 homes. The organisation’s work initially focused on regeneration in the inner city of Leeds but since then, they’ve increased the number of homes and their geographical spread across Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees and into North Yorkshire. Leeds Federated Housing’s purpose is to help people make a home. Their aim is to provide good value housing, offering security and affordability, supporting residents to thrive. The organisation offers a range of support to residents, including managing money and accessing welfare benefits, employment advice and access to training opportunities, and improving health and wellbeing.

Fujitsu donated seven tablets to Leeds Federated Housing. The organisation will use the tablets to support their Housing for Older People scheme residents to get online, as well as to develop a programme of monthly Digital Drop-in sessions to benefit all residents.

“Fujitsu’s donation of devices means we can work with our customers to reduce the digital divide and help people learn valuable new skills. We will use the tablets to help our older residents to improve their digital skills. We will do this by introducing the tablets at existing activities such as coffee mornings and craft clubs, giving residents the opportunity to slowly build their digital skills and confidence in an unpressured environment. We are also looking at ways to reach more of our customers, including running Digital Drop-in sessions at monthly Housing Hubs.”

Leeds Federated Housing

Middle Eastern & Mediterranean Community (MEMEC)

MEMEC is a charity supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. The organisation is based in the Burmantofts and Richmond Hill area of Leeds, where 64% of residents live in areas among the 10% most deprived in England. MEMEC runs a range of activities for the community, including those that are educational, provide opportunities to socialise, provide support for physical and mental wellbeing and help to navigate UK systems and services. Activities include ESOL lessons, a food bank, advocacy services, and wellbeing support,

Fujitsu donated six laptops and four tablets to MEMEC. The organisation will use the equipment to begin embedding digital inclusion across their service:

Supporting women attending their coffee morning sessions to build their digital skills and confidence in accessing online tools to identify and engage with wider support available across the city, such as navigating Mindwell Leeds to access suitable mental health support.
One-to-one advocacy and advice sessions, supporting people with online form filling such as applying for Universal credit and eVisas.
Parenting Sessions to support parents and families to access online parenting resources, training materials and courses, via partnerships such as ChildSide’s ‘New Home, New Country’ a training project designed to support Yorkshire-based organisations working with refugee, asylum-seeking, or trafficked families.

MHA

MHA is a charity providing care and support to older people through care homes, retirement living, social groups, and befriending services. Their mission is to enable people to live later life well by inspiring the best care and wellbeing at every stage of later life. They enable people to live later life well by delivering community-based services and activities designed and delivered in partnership with local people so that individuals are more active, engaged and happier within their communities. Members can choose from a menu of services, both digital and face to face, including individual befriending, one to one support, groups, clubs, classes and activities that promote and support well-being.

Fujitsu donated six tablets to MHA, for use across the organisation’s sites in Leeds:

MHA Communities Farsley.
MHA Communities Horsforth.
MHA Communities Pudsey.
MHA Communities Rothwell & District.
MHA Communities South Leeds.

MHA Communities South Leeds currently has over 800 members from many diverse and cultural backgrounds in the Beeston and Hunslet, and Cottingley areas of Leeds. The average household income in the Beeston and Holbeck ward is £35,233, the sixth lowest across Leeds wards, and 31% of LSOAs are in the 10% most economically deprived in England.

MHA Communities South Leeds have used the tablets to embed digital inclusion support across a number of their social groups and activities. Examples include:

Demonstrating travel apps and helping people to develop the skills to download the app on their smart phones, supporting confident independent travel.
Encouraging gentle digital exploration by using the tablets in reminiscing, by searching for old photographs of schools that members attended and the areas where they used to live.
Encouraging the use of food and recipe apps supporting healthy living, including finding healthy recipes that members have tried.
Supporting the use of price comparison sites to help members minimise their gas and electricity bills in preparation for the winter months.

“We’ve been using the tablets to look up things on Google, showing people how easy it is to find out things, or answer questions that have come up in general conversations – we’ve solved a few disagreements along the way!

“Some of our members are visually impaired and find it difficult to develop their digital skills on their smartphones as screens are quite small. They have found the larger screens of the tablets much more comfortable to use for reading, and we’ve been showing them how to adjust font sizes and other accessibility settings to make it even easier for them.”

MHA Communities South Leeds

MHA Communities Horsforth have a Digital Volunteer who has used the tablets to support members at Meal Clubs with anything digital-related. Members have also used the tablets in the Craft Club, using creative simple tools like online colouring apps.

“The first time our Digital Volunteer offered to help members using the tablets, a few members asked how to set up apps on their phones. For example, one member asked how to set up the app for their current energy supplier. The tablet was a great help as it has a bigger screen, so they were able to set up an online account using the tablet and then download the app onto their phone, where they could then log in and everything was ready for them to use. Other members who saw this then asked for help with setting up energy apps on their phones. We’ve now done three sessions and have helped members to download and log into apps like the NHS app, get set up with online GP services, and learn how to do online grocery shopping. Having the tablet has been a massive help as members can see things more clearly on the bigger screen.”

MHA Communities Horsforth

Newcomer Aid Network

Newcomer Aid Network is charity in Hunslet dedicated to supporting migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable individuals within the community. They are committed to promoting dignity, inclusion, and wellbeing by providing practical support and community-based services to people experiencing hardship. The average household income in the Beeston and Holbeck ward is £35,233, the sixth lowest across Leeds wards, and 31% of LSOAs are in the 10% most economically deprived in England.

The organisation works to reduce poverty, support social integration, and strengthen community connections through volunteer-led initiatives and collaborative partnerships. Through their programmes such as a food bank, community integration support, and volunteer mentoring and befriending, Newcomer Aid Network supports individuals and families facing economic hardship to access essential assistance, guidance, and opportunities to rebuild their lives with confidence.

Fujitsu donated four laptops to Newcomer Aid Network. They plan to use these to start their ‘Digital Pathways to Independence’ project in October 2026.

“Our intention is to use the laptops as part of the Digital Pathways to Independence project to help beneficiaries access government and other essential online services, including Universal Credit, HMRC, NHS services, housing applications, and job search platforms. The laptops will also be used to improve digital skills and support beneficiaries with employability by helping them create CVs, search and apply for jobs, complete online application forms, and access training opportunities.”

Newcomer Aid Network

Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) Leeds

Royal Voluntary Service is a national charity built on local volunteering, giving support to people in need in NHS hospitals and communities. Volunteers work with healthcare teams and in communities providing practical help and emotional support when people are struggling to cope, with the aim of building resilience in local communities.

Fujitsu donated three tablets to RVS to support their work with older people in Leeds. RVS are at the start of their digital inclusion journey, exploring how they can embed digital inclusion support across their service. The organisation’s Service Coordinators are using the tablets to provide digital access in existing support activities, helping them to work more flexibly and access information while supporting clients.

The organisation’s volunteers are planning digital inclusion sessions where clients will be supported to use the tablets, learning at their own pace. The sessions will focus on helping older people become more confident with technology, get online, stay connected with family and friends, and access useful information and services.

“We’re really looking forward to getting the digital inclusion sessions started. Having tablets available means clients can actually practise themselves, with a volunteer there to support them.”

“For some older people, technology can feel quite intimidating. Having someone alongside them with a tablet they can practise on should help make it feel much less daunting.”

“The tablets will be a really useful resource for our clients. We’re excited to see what they’ll be able to do with them once the sessions get going.”

Volunteers, Royal Voluntary Service

Touchstone

Touchstone is a charity providing a broad range health and wellbeing services to over 10,000 people in diverse communities across Yorkshire every year.

Fujitsu donated two tablets and one Chromebook to Touchstone, who are using the equipment to support mental health rehabilitation for adults with complex psychosis, as part of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s Complex Psychosis Pathway.

“The donation of digital equipment has helped us to start our plans to support the service users on our ward to be more involved with digital equipment and rehabilitation. Many individuals accessing our service face barriers to digital participation due to limited access to technology, financial hardship, and reduced confidence in using digital tools. The provision of two tablets and one laptop will enable service users to develop essential digital skills through structured groups and individual support. The devices will be used to access healthcare services, manage benefits, maintain social connections, engage in education and employment activities, and develop the practical digital skills required for independent living. This project will promote recovery, reduce social isolation, improve confidence, and help individuals participate more fully in their communities.”

Touchstone

Women’s Whispers

Women’s Whispers (working under parent organisation Surraya Hanif CIC) supports women from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Beeston. Their goal is to give women and children the resources they need to succeed and break the cycle of poverty. The average household income in Beeston and Holbeck is £35,233, the sixth lowest across Leeds wards, and 31% of LSOAs are in the 10% most economically deprived in England.

They operate a safe space for women. Their services include support for women in crisis such as domestic violence victim survivors, gifting culturally appropriate food and clothing, and delivering support sessions such as health post-partum, peri-menopause, and menopause awareness, health sessions, and social activities such as sewing and craft sessions.

Fujitsu donated 14 laptops and 10 tablets to Women’s Whispers. The organisation has used the equipment to set up an IT suite, offer digital skills courses, and embed digital access and skills support across their services.

Women’s Whispers are delivering weekly digital skills sessions where clients can learn the digital skills needed to access and communicate with support services, access education and employment, manage their health, and learn how to navigate the internet safety, for both themselves and their children. Skills supported range from basic digital skills for absolute beginners, through to more advanced topics such as CV writing and presentation skills. Women’s Whispers have formed a partnership with Leeds City College which will see the start of more formal digital literacy and ESOL courses from September, making further use of the equipment.

“Every Friday we have the laptops and tablets available for the clients to develop their digital skills, whether they’re absolute beginners or looking for more advanced support. The ladies are keenly aware of the importance of digital skills in being able to independently help themselves and their children. They are very eager to learn and have been enjoying using the equipment. We can see their digital confidence growing week-by-week.”

Women’s Whispers

Next steps

“Social value is often measured through inputs, for example, the number of devices donated, grants awarded or volunteering hours delivered. Working with 100% Digital Leeds has helped us complement those measures with a deeper understanding of the outcomes our support creates for communities.

“It has also strengthened our understanding of digital inclusion. It goes far beyond access to technology or building digital skills; the barriers people face are complex and often shaped by a combination of personal, social and economic factors. As a result, digital exclusion can affect people in very different ways, and the outcomes that matter will differ across communities.

“Through our partnership with 100% Digital Leeds, our donations have reached a diverse range of organisations and communities across the city, including older people, families experiencing financial hardship, refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of domestic abuse. Their local knowledge and community relationships help ensure equipment is directed where it can be most relevant and useful.

“Ultimately, digital inclusion is about enabling people to participate more fully and independently in everyday life. The partnership has given us valuable local insight into how that impact can be realised across different communities, helping us direct our support in ways that are relevant, responsive and aligned to local need.”

Amern Warinch, Social Value Delivery Lead, Fujitsu UK&I

Partnering with 100% Digital Leeds has also helped inform Fujitsu of how they might approach working with other local authorities, using their social value offer to support community organisations to support digital inclusion in a place.

“Working with 100% Digital Leeds has deepened my understanding of the importance and wider impact of digital inclusion. Hearing real examples of how it is improving outcomes for people from different backgrounds and circumstances has brought that impact to life in a very tangible way. It has also reinforced the opportunity for the technology industry to do more to support digital inclusion, including through strong local partnerships. As technology becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, ensuring people can access and benefit from it will only become more important.”

Amern Warinch, Social Value Delivery Lead, Fujitsu UK&I

100% Digital Leeds will continue to find opportunities to use the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), and Social Value offers from digital and tech companies to build the capacity of community organisations to support digital inclusion.

100% Digital Leeds are active members of a city working group set up in early 2026 to help people and organisations across Leeds understand and deliver social value more effectively.

The social value working group is bringing together partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors so we can:

Agree what good social value looks like for our city
Join up our work across organisations to reduce duplication and increase impact
Connect social value more strongly to community priorities and the Leeds Ambitions
Share learning, ideas and new approaches so everyone in Leeds can benefit.

Together, we are building a more connected way of working, where organisations across Leeds work together to deliver real lasting benefits for our communities.