MP for South East Cambridgeshire Lucy Frazer paid a visit to Ely Library on November 10 to explore the important work of digital inclusion hubs in Cambridgeshire.

The visit was organised by the Connecting Cambridgeshire digital connectivity programme following receipt of a letter from Dr Stephen Moir, chief Executive of Cambridgeshire County Council.

He wrote to all Cambridgeshire MPs following End Digital Poverty Day.

Letters were sent to raise awareness about the impacts of digital exclusion and the importance of digital inclusion hubs - with an invitation to visit a local digital inclusion hub to see first-hand the importance and value of the work being done to support those who are digitally excluded.

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As part of her visit, Lucy Frazer MP was welcomed by representatives from Connecting Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire Libraries and Cambridgeshire Skills.

During the discussion at the library, digital exclusion figures and statistics specific to South East Cambridgeshire and the broader county offered an insight into the challenges regularly faced by libraries and Cambridgeshire Skills in addressing digital exclusion.

One of the key talking points of the visit was the existing support provided by libraries and Cambridgeshire Skills, as well as the broader efforts of Connecting Cambridgeshire to aid digital inclusion.

Lucy Frazer MP expressed her support for better digital inclusion and said: "In our increasingly online world, these are all important factors that contribute to people feeling more integrated and self-assured in their daily lives.

“Nationally, the Government is improving connectivity through its £5 billion ‘Project Gigabit’, which is set to roll out gigabit-capable broadband imminently to the hardest-to-reach areas of the country, including in rural Cambridgeshire.”

Cllr Tom Sanderson, chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee, confirmed the importance of these hubs, saying: “Our libraries serve as gateways to the digital world for many people in Cambridgeshire.

"They provide a safe place for people to gain or enhance their digital skills and confidence, and offer free connectivity for all via CambWifi, and are a great place to go for advice, help to get online and get access to or borrow digital devices.