Light Project Peterborough has been named an official Digital Hub, offering residents free access to the internet, computers, and specialist support to help them get online. The initiative, based at the charity’s Garden House facility, is part of a wider effort to combat digital exclusion across the city.
The scheme is run by Connecting Cambridgeshire in partnership with the Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service. By providing equipment and connectivity, the project aims to help residents who face barriers such as poverty, housing insecurity, or social isolation. Research has shown that these individuals often struggle to access essential online services, sometimes relying on others to navigate the internet for them.
To support this work, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is providing grants of up to £4,200 to community venues to fund new technology and internet solutions. There are up to 12 of these hubs ringfenced for Peterborough. Staff and volunteers at the sites receive training from Cambridge Online to ensure they can provide effective assistance to those who need it most.
The project follows the identification of digital exclusion as a significant issue during the Peterborough Poverty Truth Commission in 2024. Mayor Paul Bristow, who visited the Garden House site in September 2025, has highlighted the programme as a key part of the regional effort to ensure internet access is available to everyone, describing it as an essential utility in modern life.
Light Project Peterborough, a charity that has been active in the city since 2009, continues to use its Garden House site to offer this digital support as part of its broader care for vulnerable and homeless residents.
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