Sky partners with The Brick Charity to open a Flagship Sky Up Hub in The Brick Community Stadium

Monday 9 September 2024

Sky, in partnership with The Brick, has launched its first-ever Digital Hub within a stadium at The Brick Community Stadium in Wigan, equipped with over 20 cutting-edge digital devices and free Sky WiFi.
Sky Up Hub was officially opened by Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport & MP for Wigan
The space includes a podcast zone, Sky Sports viewing area and dedicated working space, and is designed to serve as a community hub for over 200 people, offering a place to study, stay connected and access to the internet.

Wigan, 6^th September 2024: Sky, in partnership with The Brick, has launched its latest Flagship Hub at The Brick Community Stadium in Wigan, marking the first time a Hub has been established within a stadium. This initiative, underscored by Sky's strong relationship with Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic, aims to support underserved people in the community – in particular many who live close to the Stadium.

As of March 2023, 14,096 children under 16 in Wigan were living in relative poverty — 22.9% of the local area's children were in families with incomes below 60% of the national average[1]. With many residents lacking access to reliable broadband, the new Sky Hub aims provide essential support to those who are digitally excluded and serves as an information centre for those who needs it the most.

Sports have long been a unifying force in the UK, fostering strong connections among friends, families, and local communities. Recognising this, Sky Sports has made significant investments in communities to enhance social cohesion and help people stay connected. In Wigan, Sky has worked in collaboration with The Brick – a local charity committed to addressing poverty, inequality and discrimination – to invest in a way which best support the community in Wigan.

The newly refurbished space, outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and Sky Sports-branded merchandise, is expected to support over 200 people in the Wigan area. It will serve as a community space where individuals can study, access the internet, and stay connected, and is equipped with over 20 digital devices, including four Sky Glass TVs, tablets, and podcast equipment, and offers free Sky WiFi powered by Sky Business.

The latest Sky Up Hub was officially opened by Lisa Nandy, local MP for Wigan, along with key people from Wigan and guests from Sky. This is the first of many events held in the Sky Up Hub to showcase this new space and the opportunities it will bring to different groups within the Wigan community.

Lisa Nandy, local MP for Wigan said: "As we open the doors of the new Sky Up Hub in The Brick Community stadium in Wigan, we celebrate the role it will play in supporting the local area. Sports is an important part of Wigan’s community and we know this Hub will make the difference in tackling both lack of access to sports and digital inequalities"

Keely Dalfen, CEO of The Brick said: "Our top priority has always been to support the Wigan community, and we are thrilled to announce the opening of a new Hub in partnership with Sky Up.

We wanted to create a space where young people can overcome both social and digital exclusion. We believe the Hub will provide the opportunities that every young person deserves."

Fiona Ball, Group Director, Bigger Picture & Sustainability at Sky, said: "At Sky, we are committed to making a positive impact on communities. With our Sky Up initiative, we are helping people across the UK and Ireland unlock new opportunities by providing essential tools, skills, and programs through our new Hubs.

Each year, more young people benefit from the facilities and opportunities made possible by Sky's partnerships. In Wigan, through this new Hub, we are dedicated to addressing inequality, empowering individuals to get online, and helping them reach their full potential."

This new hub is being delivered as part of the Sky Up digital equity programme. In 2022, Sky launched its ambition to tackle digital inequality with a three-part initiative providing support to a quarter of a million digitally excluded people. Sky Up was created to ensure that groups who are most at risk of digital exclusion - under 25s and over 65s - are provided with the skills they need to succeed.

In 2023, Sky Up delivered 55 new Hubs, taking the total to 70 Hubs across the UK, Ireland and Italy. Since its launch in 2022, Sky Up has provided more than 3000 technology devices and over 16,000 unique devices have connected to free Sky broadband, powered by Sky Business. According to Sky’s Social Impact Report, 91% of beneficiaries now feel more confident using the internet with 93% having learned new skills and keen to learn more.

[1] Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions – Wigan Today

Notes to Editor

The launch of Sky Sports+, announced earlier this year, will have a direct impact on Wigan FC as it marks the beginning of a significant and long-term partnership with the EFL. Sky Sports+ will broadcast over 1,000 EFL games per season, showcasing every team more than 20 times.
Wigan's rugby team, the Wigan Warriors, will also benefit from the new service, as it will cover every match from the men's Rugby Super League.
For more information please contact: rebecca.zintout@sky.uk

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The Brick works across five key interconnected areas to tackle the root causes of social exclusion and deprivation: housing and homelessness, personal development, food and health, financial resilience and employment and training. The charity provides wrap around support through coaches and Independent Living Mentors using a person-led support model, supporting people who are transitioning through services to make informed choices and take control of their lives. The Brick delivers effective solutions to address poverty and homelessness across the Wigan and Leigh Borough.

Our services include residential and supporting services for those who, for many reasons and circumstances, are unable to find suitable accommodation to meet their needs. Whilst having a roof is a great start, we do so much more – from helping people to register with a GP, open a bank account, access benefits, engage with other services to volunteering/employment, getting back into education/training, and moving on into independent living. This is just the tip of the iceberg though; in terms of the emotional support and encouragement our team offer to the people we work alongside. In the last 12 months The Brick has supported over 16,500 people who are experiencing tough times,

The Brick has also three retail spaces providing unrestricted income alongside employment and volunteer opportunities, and operates an affordable food community, offering onsite support as well as dignity and choice and the right to food. In 2023 we established England’s first multibank, offering a direct solution to corporate wastage, enabling businesses to reroute surplus household and hygiene products to meet growing social needs. Since launched, The Brick multibank has distributed over 1 million essential household items to families in need.

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