Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity joins the Digital Services Consortium (DSC)

Digital access can be the difference between isolation and opportunity. Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity is proud to join the Digital Services Consortium (DSC), an alliance of 12 charities, which will help over 20,000 families to get online, get connected, and access life-changing support online.

The Digital Services Consortium (DSC) is proud to announce the launch of a ground breaking initiative that will improve the digital skills, confidence, and access to digital services for thousands of children with disability and long-term illness and their families. The new Driving Digital Inclusion Programme will provide over 20,000 participants with access to digital devices, skills training, and ongoing support to help them navigate the digital world with confidence and safety.  The DSC is an alliance of twelve children’s charities co-chaired by Kids and Sense. The member charities are: Ambitious about Autism, The Children’s Trust, Contact, Dingley’s Promise, Family Fund, Kids, National Deaf Children’s Society, Rainbow Trust, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, Sense, WellChild, and Whizz Kidz. The idea for the initiative was born out of the Covid pandemic, when Kids commissioned research with the Disabled Children’s Partnership to better understand the experiences of digitally disadvantaged and disabled children, young people and their families. The Locked Out report concluded that done well, digital access can be a real lifeline – enabling access to friendships and vital services including therapies, information, advice and mediation. It has power to make the most difference to the groups these charities support, who are more likely to experience isolation and barriers to in-person services. Find out more about the programme here. Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity Digital Peer Support Groups The Marvellous Digital Peer Support Groups are available for children, young people, and their families. These sessions will give young people and their siblings the chance to meet others who truly understand what they’re going through, make new friends, and build a strong, supportive community. We'll be working side-by-side with families to shape the support they receive - because their voices matter. Online social groups will give parents and carers the opportunity to talk openly, share experiences, and support one another emotionally and practically. The parent and carer workshops will equip families with the tools to make everyday life easier. We want to give children, young people, and parents and carers a space where they can truly be themselves - supported, understood, and connected. Learn more about our Marvellous Family Support Services here

Thanks to National Lottery players, the DSC has received over £1.5 million over two years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The DSC has also received a grant of £400,000 from BBC Children in Need for two years to provide digital support for disabled or seriously ill children and young people and their family members across the UK. Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone have generously donated devices and data through the Good Things Foundation National Databank and Device Bank which will help address affordability barriers.