Hounslow Council Leader, Shantanu Rajawat, visited a Digital Drop-in session at Hounslow House and met Heba, the Council’s newest Digital Champion, and some of the people she was helping, Tuesday, 2 June.
Published: Friday, 27th June 2025
Hounslow Council has been hosting multiple free, weekly, Digital Drop-in sessions, supporting local people since late 2022. Over the last three years, these one-to-one, in-person sessions have welcomed more than 1,500 people, inspiring confidence, sharing skills, encouraging people to help themselves, and stay safe online.
Digital Champions volunteer their time to help the Council’s digital inclusion team. Together they support residents with a wide range of queries, from setting up email accounts to completing CVs online and directing people to other agencies and partners, where helpful.
During this time, the Council has also updated its online offer, putting the most used services front and centre on its website homepage. It’s also simplified language and reduced the number of clicks to get people to the pages they need.
The Council’s Hounslow Connect platform features a wide range of help and support in areas such as health and wellbeing and getting digital. It offers an online directory that helps residents to easily access accurate and up-to-date information about local voluntary, community and social groups, as well as Council services.
Digital Champion, Heba, said: “I found out about the Champions in my local library, there was a workshop there and I learned about what they do and was interested. So today is my first day as a Digital Champion, I’m very excited!”
Hounslow Council works with charities, big business and local organisations to help residents improve their digital skills. Local people can find free Wi-Fi and access to computers in Hounslow libraries, where staff are available to help. This means that Council libraries are busy supporting students, especially around exam time. Local businesses, workers and freelancers use this service as well.
The Council is also working to install faster fibre networks in its buildings with 90 linked up so far. Each of these helps ten further properties to get connected in areas where coverage is weak, supporting local homes and businesses.
More than 2,000 local people connect to public Wi-Fi at Council sites every day, with 1,000 more logging on in Council leisure centres.
Cllr Shantanu said: “Improving the availability of, and access to, digital services throughout Hounslow is a key priority for the Council.
We are working to realise the power that improved digital skills and services have to support people’s health and wellbeing, their ability to search and apply for jobs and more.
We are delighted to see our improved digital offer helping to tackle loneliness, supporting people to save money and reducing the challenges presented by not being able to manage an email account. As well as delivering opportunities for small businesses and young people to thrive.
