When I started working with Manchester City Council’s Work and Skills Team, I was surprised just how many of the city’s residents were thought to be digitally excluded.

Of course it’s the most vulnerable – those on local incomes, or the disabled – who are least likely to be online or have digital skills.

To help redress the balance, we came up with a simple concept. I would profile local people who had ‘taken the plunge’ and, through their testimonies, encourage others.

Our little booklet (148mm square) would be available at libraries, GP surgeries and council venues.

And then came lockdown which, ironically, highlights more than ever the benefits of being online and connected. Yet again, it is the vulnerable who lose out.