Bendigo Bank’s push to close the digital divide
In a bid to support seniors across the country improve their digital skills, Bendigo Bank has signed up to be the financial inclusion sponsor of this week’s Get Online Week 2023, a national digital inclusion campaign.
This year marks the first year Bendigo Bank will partner with Good Things Foundation Australia, the national charity behind Get Online Week, to promote digital inclusion across the nation.
As part of Bendigo Bank’s sponsorship of the campaign, it will run a dedicated ‘Banking safely online day’ tomorrow, Thursday 19 October, to raise awareness about the importance of digital skills support throughout its branches.
With research showing one-in-four Australians are digitally excluded, Bendigo Bank’s Chief Customer Officer, Consumer Banking, Richard Fennell, said it’s never been more important for financial institutions to do whatever they can to close the digital divide.
“The equation for us here at Bendigo Bank is simple, the more people we can educate and support to build digital confidence, the better,” Mr Fennell said.
“As the financial inclusion sponsor of Get Online Week 2023, we want to raise awareness about the need for digital skills and ensure we are doing everything we can to provide all Australians with affordable access to the internet – and the confidence to use it.”
Get Online Week is Australia’s largest community-led campaign that focuses on promoting digital inclusion in our population. This year, more than 500 organisations will host events in their local communities that will change the lives of digitally excluded people for good.
“We know older people, people with disability, low-income families and First Nations people are at higher risk of digital exclusion, not to mention those living in remote and regional areas.
“There’s never been a more important time to support people to work with their local community group to acquire life-changing digital skills.
“Bendigo Bank is extremely proud to support Get Online Week this year, along with the good work Good Things Foundation does all year-long. Together, we believe we can close the digital divide, for good,” Mr Fennell concluded.
Every year, Get Online Week reaches more than 15,000 Australians in need of digital support who may otherwise get left behind.
“Digital skills and affordable access to the internet are essential in today’s technologically advanced world,” CEO of Good Things Foundation Australia, Jessica Wilson, said.
“If you can’t get online, you risk being excluded from modern society. You may struggle to access vital online government and health services, pay power bills, shop for food online, find a home to live in and maintain social connectedness.
“The good news is that digital exclusion is an issue we can solve.”
Get Online Week is a positive campaign, run every year by Good Things Foundation, fuelled by the strength of communities.
“Local organisations run events that promote local solutions to the digital inclusion barriers that people in their community are facing. We’ve seen that the events run across the country during Get Online Week can turn people’s lives around,” Ms Wilson said.
Good Things Foundation Australia takes a community-led approach to inspire and build digital capabilities in community organisations across Australia.
Bendigo Bank worked closely with the Good Things Foundation on a digital literacy community-focused pilot program, focusing on digital literacy and education. The pilot saw five branches work with three Good Things Foundation network partners - community organisations - to directly support dozens of customers to learn a new digital skill and gain greater confidence online.
For more information about the campaign, please visit: https://aus.getonlineweek.com/
For more information about how customers can bank more safely, please visit https://www.bendigobank.com.au/security/
