A BASINGSTOKE housing association has signed up to the Government’s UK Digital Inclusion Charter.

Last year saw the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web but an estimated 11 million people still lack the basic digital skills required to safely use the internet and access the benefits it can provide such as online shopping, communicating with friends and family and searching and applying for jobs.

Without these skills, one in five UK adults will continue to be digitally excluded which could impact their job prospects, health, education and more.

To help target the issue, Sentinel Housing Association, which is based in Kingsclere Road, has joined organisations such as Vodafone, Age UK and Shelter by signing up to the Digital Inclusion Charter which aims to make the internet accessible for everyone.

It aims to reduce the number of people offline by 25 per cent by 2016.

Julian Chun, Sentinel’s operations director, said: “We’re really pleased to have signed up to the UK Digital Inclusion Charter. So much of everyday life is carried on online, which can make life for those living without the benefits of the internet really challenging and isolating.

“That’s why we’re doing all we can to help people gain the confidence and skills to discover a new world online.”