What would you do if your life depended on being online - but you couldn't get access?
Vicky Stephen, Customer Vulnerability and Financial Inclusion Wellbeing Manager at Virgin Money, is tackling that question through community outreach, inclusive service design, and national partnerships.
She sets out what practical inclusion work looks like when a bank combines branch access, skills support, community funding, and service design that does not assume every customer is confident online.
Digital exclusion still blocks access to work, money, public services, and everyday tasks such as ordering prescriptions, video calling family, or using banking services. For regulated firms, the practical question is how to design services and communications that work for customers who cannot rely on a default digital route.
When Digital Access Becomes Essential
Vicky Stephen grew up in rural Scotland, where reliable internet access has often been limited. That experience shapes how she talks about inclusion today.
"We used to see digital as a luxury," she says. "Now it's a lifeline."
But access and confidence are not evenly spread. Almost a quarter of UK adults feel digitally excluded, according to Link research, and exclusion can create barriers to finding work, managing money, or using public services.
Exclusion Is Not Confined to Older Adults
Younger adults are affected too. Gen Z are more than twice as likely to experience both digital and financial exclusion compared to millennials, according to research from Virgin Money and WPI.
What Virgin Money And WPI Found
Virgin Money and WPI research found Gen Z were more than twice as likely as millennials to face both digital and financial exclusion.
"People assume young people are confident online," Vicky says. "But many lack digital financial skills or simply can't afford consistent internet access."
Branch Access Through the National Databank
Connectivity is often the first barrier. Virgin Money has partnered with the Good Things Foundation so that 91 branches act as access points to the National Databank, a nationwide effort to provide free mobile data for people in need.
How the Branch Offer Works
Customers and non-customers can walk into a branch and receive a SIM card preloaded with 25GB of data per month for up to 12 months. The aim is straightforward: remove the cost barrier that keeps people offline.
"We just want to give them the ability to get online," Vicky says.
Branch teams have supported people affected by homelessness, those fleeing domestic abuse, and parents who needed their children to do homework online. Small acts of support can help individuals regain confidence and re-engage with services and communities.
"We've helped people take that first step out of crisis by simply giving them that access."
Branch access addresses connectivity first. Skills support, community funding, and colleague champions extend that work into longer-term confidence.
Skills, Champions, and Community Funding
Data alone does not solve exclusion without the skills to use it. Virgin Money and Good Things Foundation also support development through platforms such as Learn My Way, a free basic digital literacy programme covering tasks such as creating a CV, using email, or accessing benefits online.
Human Support Still Matters
Vicky is expanding courses beyond self-service by hosting live community sessions in places such as local libraries. "Not everyone wants to go online alone," she says. "Sometimes they just want someone next to them, showing them how."
Alongside national communications and social media outreach, Virgin Money employees reach out to food banks, libraries, and community centres to raise awareness locally.
The Virgin Money Foundation has provided £2.8m in funding to community anchor organisations for bespoke digital skills training in the North East of England and Glasgow, trained 248 colleagues as Digital Champions, and distributed more than £400,000 in Volunteer and Connect grants to help schools increase digital inclusion across the UK.
"We can't do this alone," Vicky says. "It's all about creating that ripple effect."
Stigma, Inclusive Design, and Channel Choice
Stigma is one of the biggest barriers to asking for help. People may feel embarrassed about never learning digital skills, or about the cost of catching up after being left out.
Open Conversation Changes What People Disclose
"You wouldn't believe the number of people who say 'I've never told anyone this before,'" Vicky says. She wants organisations to talk about digital capability internally and externally in an open, judgement-free way.
"Ten years ago we didn't talk about money struggles. Now it's more acceptable," she adds. "We need the same change for digital exclusion."
Designing Around Real Customer Preferences?
Use our customer preference research to understand where portals, logins, email, and post can help or hinder important journeys.
As businesses digitise services, inclusive design remains critical. Vicky encourages teams to ask, "Have we tested this with people at different skill levels?" That means gathering feedback before and during development, not retrofitting accessibility later.
Digital should not mean digital-only. Choice, alternative channels, and human connection still matter.
The same principle applies to regulated customer communications. If a firm assumes every recipient can complete a digital-only journey, it can exclude customers with low confidence, limited connectivity, or support needs that only become visible when something goes wrong.
"Inclusion has to show up in channel choice and customer delivery, not only on paper. If the default route only works for confident digital users, the service is still excluding people."
Virgin Money continues its work with Good Things Foundation, expanding community education and support across the UK, including involvement in Get Online Week to raise awareness and bring more partners into the fold.
Practical Steps Other Organisations Can Take
One useful starting point is to live without the internet for a day. Vicky and her team did, and tasks such as finding cinema times or comparing car insurance became a chore.
"That's life for many people, every day," she says.
Start Small and Keep the Conversation Going
From there, find a route that suits your audience rather than trying to solve every inclusion challenge at once.
"You don't need to boil the ocean," Vicky says. "Just commit to the first step - and keep talking about it."
Questions To Ask Before Digitising a Service
Can someone with low digital confidence complete the default journey?
Is there a workable non-digital route when connectivity or skills are limited?
Have people at different skill levels tested the service before launch?
Those checks matter wherever regulated firms ask customers to complete sensitive journeys online, by email, or through a portal.
FAQs
What Is the National Databank?
It is a UK-wide initiative that provides free mobile data to people who cannot afford it, helping them get online and access essential services.
Why Does Digital Inclusion Matter to Businesses?
Without digital access, customers may struggle to use services, manage finances, or find support. Inclusion helps build stronger, more resilient communities and reduces friction in everyday customer journeys.
How Can My Organisation Support Digital Inclusion?
You could partner with charities such as the Good Things Foundation, start data hub initiatives, or offer basic skills training through branches or online resources.
Is Digital Exclusion Only an Issue for Older Adults?
No. Virgin Money and WPI research shows younger adults also face exclusion due to affordability, lack of skills, or low digital confidence, particularly around managing money.
What Makes Inclusive Digital Design So Important?
Designing with different skill levels in mind helps prevent friction, confusion, or exclusion. It creates journeys that work for users who need support, alternative channels, or human help alongside digital tools.
Sam Kendall works on digital marketing at Beyond Encryption, helping build B2B marketing activity around research, first principles, and sustainable growth. He writes about marketing effectiveness, positioning, customer communications, and digital culture, with longer-form work published at ATNL.
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Sam Kendall
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