Preston City Council has established the Preston Digital Cooperative, a consortium of public-sector organisations, voluntary and community sector organisations (VCSOs), and network providers, using money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
It says the co-op will enable the pooling of resources to address digital exclusion in the city alongside wider service provision.
The authority – a champion of community wealth building and the ‘Preston model’ of co-operative municipalism – has so far allocated £200,000 from its Prosperity Fund for investment in the expansion of free Wi-Fi provision for residents in the most disadvantaged wards in the city.
The new co-op will apply for additional sources of funding to further advance the digital inclusion agenda in the city, Preston Council adds.
Meanwhile, progress continues on developing the co-op, says a council press release. The fibre ring, which is the backbone of the network, was completed in October 2025, and work then began to connect the community centres, of which most should be completed by the end of this month.
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A tender to provide internet connectivity to the community centres has been awarded to Network Connect, with the first centres – Sahara, Raza, Plungington, and Catherine Beckett – due to be connected by the end of this month.
Residents who attend those community centres will be able to get high-speed internet access from their devices.
Councillor Valerie Wise, Cabinet member for Community Wealth Building, said: “The work of the Preston Digital Cooperative and the use of Shared Prosperity Funding to invest in internet connectivity is helping to tackle the digital divide and improve digital inclusion, ensuring that our residents have equal access,” said Cllr Valerie Wise, cabinet member for community wealth building. “It also demonstrates our Community Wealth Building principles of anchor collaboration and democratic ownership.”
Sahara community centre’s manager, Zafar Coupland, added: “As a provider of digital skills to women in the community, this high-speed connectivity will really help in improving the quality of courses we can offer, which in turn enables more residents to be ready for that next step in gaining employment.”
Ryan Heys, sales director at Network Connect, said: “Having visited several of the centres and seen first‑hand the impact of the work they do, we’re both excited and proud to be partnering with Preston City Council and Preston Digital Cooperative on this project. Access to reliable, high‑quality internet is essential in today’s digital world, and the lack of it can limit learning, career opportunities, and access to vital services.
“By improving connectivity, we hope to help these community centres build on the fantastic support they already provide and enable even greater opportunities for the people they serve.”
Another ambition of the co-op is the distribution of recycled digital devices to residents on low incomes, says the council, adding: “We are exploring opportunities with potential suppliers of such devices and would welcome any further leads in this area. This future piece of work for the members of the Cooperative will bring greater social added value and benefit to communities.”
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a fund allocated by the UK government and managed by local authorities in partnership with local stakeholders. Ministers announced in December 2024 that there would be £900m available across the UK as transitional funding for an extra year of activities for 2025/26 after the 2022/2025 funding programme closed.
