A charity has been given £50,000 for a second year of funding towards its online initiative for children, young people and families called ‘Digital Fingers’.

The Children’s Centre charity received the grant as part of Manx Lottery Trust’s Thematic Funding for 2021, Bridging the Digital Divide.

It also received additional funding from Community Awards to further develop the project in its first year.

‘Digital Fingers’ is a programme that encourages children’s learning and development and improves communication using information technology such as computers.

The grant will fund a range of costs to support the project, including a communications project worker, training, community events and computer equipment, including a small number of the revolutionary mini-computers’ Raspberry Pi’.

Joff Whitten, head of The Children’s Centre, said it would help isolated children reconnect with their families or encouraging young people living with disabilities to learn computing and digital making skills.

‘Over the last two years, we have had to adapt our offering and services,’ he said.

‘After the outbreak of Covid-19 and during the various lockdowns we quickly transitioned to a remote model, carrying out the majority of our support work virtually.

‘Without a doubt, the charity’s digital approach helped us keep those vital connections with our clients, volunteers, other island communities, and UK research centres.

‘The grant from the Manx Lottery Trust has enabled us to fund the digital programme for a second year and will go a long way in improving the lives of our young clients and their families.’

Manx Lottery Trust chairman Sarah Kelly added: ‘This digital project will support many struggling families across the island and will enable The Children’s Centre to keep better connected with a whole host of individuals and organisations from within the Manx community, including care providers, Government bodies, corporate donors, and of course the general public – all of whom are vital to the charity’s work.’

This grant is from Manx Lottery Trust’s Community Awards Programme.

Manx Lottery Trust distributes National Lottery money from The National Lottery Community Fund.