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The Greater Manchester Databank


Join the Greater Manchester Databank

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is working with Good Things Foundation to deliver the National Databank locally. The Greater Manchester Databank will help support residents on low incomes from becoming at further disadvantage by being unable to access the opportunities digital access brings. 

What is the Greater Manchester Databank? 

The National Databank is a 'food bank for connectivity data’, helping thousands of vulnerable people to get connected by giving community groups and charities access to free data. The Databank allows organisations to provide free SIMS and mobile data (as well as talk minutes and texts) to residents in need via Good Things Foundation’s network of local community partners. The National Databank has enough data to help 500,000 people nationally donated by Virgin Media O2, Vodafone and Three. 

The Greater Manchester Databank will draw down this available data from the National Databank to enable registered community organisations across Greater Manchester to support residents locally with a free SIM and mobile data. 

The Get Online Greater Manchester: digital skills map can be used to locate a Greater Manchester Databank.

Residents eligible for support will be able to access between 7-24GB of data for 12 months from their local participating Good Things Foundation Online Centre. An online centre could be anything from a foodbank to a local library. 

To be eligible to receive data from the National Databank, the individual must:  

  • Be 18+ years old  
  • AND be from a low-income household  

And qualify in one or several of the following statements:  

  • Has no access or insufficient access to the internet at home 
  • AND/OR has no or insufficient access to the internet when away from the home  
  • AND/OR cannot afford their existing monthly contract or top up 

Where is my nearest databank?

Find more information and FAQ’s about the Databank  

Greater Manchester community organisations are invited to apply to access the databank, allowing them to give data to people in their communities who need it. It brings free mobile internet data connectivity to people who can’t afford it and who are often also experiencing multiple inequalities in today’s society. 

The offer is suitable for community organisations and charities that directly support people experiencing data poverty. This allows them to reach the people who would most benefit from access to free data and supports them to activate and begin using the data.   

Organisations need to sign up to be a member of the Online Centres Network and will then be asked to complete a short application form to join the National Databank. 

Find out more about the National Databank and how to apply

You can help spread the word of the Greater Manchester Databank with our communication toolkit.

For further enquiries on the National Databank please email: databank@goodthingsfoundation.org

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