Why bridging the digital divide is key to tackling skills shortages as Leeds Digital Ball raises £60,000 for foundation

Bridging the digital divide will be key to tackling skills shortages in the tech sector, according to organisers of the Leeds Digital Charity Ball.

Sandra Patel-Stewart, CEO of recruitment firm Transition Partners, who was one of the organisers of the ball, says the Leeds Community Foundation will be “instrumental” in helping bridge the “digital divide”.

“All the money that goes to them is being invested back into the tech community,” she told The Yorkshire Post. “There’s such a shortage of skills.”

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Ms Patel-Stewart added: “There are a lot of growing businesses within Yorkshire who are really struggling for that tech talent.

Organisers of the ball, Sandra Patel-Stewart, Mike Quate and Elly Nettleton.Organisers of the ball, Sandra Patel-Stewart, Mike Quate and Elly Nettleton.
Organisers of the ball, Sandra Patel-Stewart, Mike Quate and Elly Nettleton.

“There’s also a lot of people who are missed and are not given the opportunity to enter the tech space.

“Particularly if you look at the divide between female versus male. The gender split is quite shocking.”

The organisers hailed the inaugural edition of the charity ball a success with tickets selling out in 72 hours.

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Plans are already in place for the event to return next year with the Royal Armouries being earmarked as a venue. The remaining £17,000 will be used to get everything in place for the 2023 edition.

Ms Patel-Stewart said: “The event was really successful. There was a really good vibe in the crowd. There were a lot of people that hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

It was really nice at the end of evening to know that we also reconnected people that had lost touch over the years.”

The ball smashed its target with organisers setting out to raise a minimum of £50,000 for the Leeds Community Foundation, which has opened a new fund in partnership with Leeds City Council called 100% Digital Leeds.

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Grants from 100% Digital Leeds will fund the development and use of sustainable interventions which support digital inclusion in Leeds.

Kate Hainsworth, CEO of the Leeds Community Foundation, said: “One of the most pressing issues within our communities is addressing the digital divide. Digital is increasingly used to enable access to many of the most basic things and therefore the consequences of being digitally excluded are becoming ever more serious.

“It had been a significant issue before the pandemic, but the pandemic both highlighted and exacerbated the situation.

“Thanks to our partnership with Leeds Digital Ball, we have designed and developed a grants programme which will fund the development and use of sustainable interventions which support digital inclusion in Leeds.”

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The Leeds Digital Charity Ball also invited a group of young people interested in tech careers to help them network, a feature that they hope to expand in the future.

For more information on the Leeds Community Foundation visit: https://www.leedscf.org.uk/

Building on the success of inaugural event

Organisers of the Leeds Digital Charity Ball are looking to build on the success of this year’s event by making the 2023 event bigger and better.

Sandra Patel-Stewart said the aim was “to build on making it more diverse and inclusive than it was this year”.

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She added: “We’ve got a bigger venue, hosting a minimum of 700.

“We’re looking to double the amount that we send to the Leeds Community Foundation.”

Next year’s event will take place in May and organisers are looking for volunteers, sponsors and donations.

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