Yorkshire-based LGBTQ+ charity Out Together has secured Government funding in partnership with Patient.info to expand vital digital inclusion and support services for older LGBTQ+ people across West Yorkshire.
The funding has been awarded through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, following a successful pilot delivered in Leeds. The expanded programme aims to tackle the health and social inequalities that many older LGBTQ+ people face, including higher risks of poor health outcomes, financial vulnerability and social isolation.
Through this partnership, Out Together and Patient.info will scale up a network of community-based digital inclusion hubs designed to support people to engage confidently with technology in ways that are meaningful to their lives. The focus goes beyond learning how to use devices, instead helping people access healthcare, manage their wellbeing, stay connected and maintain independence in an increasingly digital world.
The pilot digital inclusion hub in Leeds demonstrated strong demand and positive outcomes, showing how trusted community spaces combined with tailored digital support can make a real difference. Building on this success, the programme will now expand to new locations across West Yorkshire.
Chair of Out Together, Thomas Porteus, highlighted the importance of the work, particularly for older LGBTQ+ people who may have experienced lifelong exclusion or barriers to accessing services. He said that digital confidence is now essential for accessing healthcare and managing wellbeing, yet too many people remain excluded. Through the partnership with Patient.info, the programme brings together trusted health expertise with safe, welcoming community environments, helping people feel more connected and in control of their digital lives.
The hubs offer a wide range of support, including group training sessions, peer-to-peer learning led by community volunteers, one-to-one support, and access to devices. Support is tailored to individual needs and may include help with emailing and video calling, online banking, accessing NHS services, and using other essential digital tools for everyday life. Each hub also provides a welcoming social space where people can meet others, share experiences and rebuild connections that may have been lost through isolation.
Alongside the expansion of five digital inclusion hubs opening in Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Hebden Bridge, Harrogate and York, the partnership will also develop a national digital health hub and volunteer network. This will help ensure longer-term, sustainable support and enable people to access services even if they are unable to attend sessions in person.
About OutTogether
Out Together, founded in 2020, works to remove social and cultural barriers and build inclusive, intergenerational LGBTQ+ communities across the UK. The charity’s work is rooted in connection, visibility and empowerment, particularly for older LGBTQ+ people who may have experienced discrimination, invisibility or isolation throughout their lives. More information about Out Together and its work is available at
https://outtogether.lgbt/
About Patient.Info
Patient.info is one of the UK’s most trusted digital health platforms and is widely used by NHS GPs and patients. Through this partnership, the platform’s health expertise is being combined with community-led delivery to improve access, confidence and equality in digital health.
This initiative reflects the growing importance of collaboration between the VCSE sector, digital health providers and Government to address inequality and ensure that no one is left behind as services continue to move online.
