Communities @One was established in January 2006, as a flagship initiative that aimed to help people use technology in the communities that needed it most in Wales.. The project provided support to community groups and voluntary sector organisations, enabling them to engage with technologies in ways that were relevant to their lives. It included a grant fund to help community and voluntary groups access the technologies that would benefit community members.

There are many ways computers and the internet can really make our lives easier, such as email, internet shopping and finding services. As technology increasingly weaves its way into all of our lives, there are more and more exciting things we can do; whether it is learning the basics, emailing, shopping online, sharing photos, and gaining information. The introduction of web 2.0 and social networking places the user in control, creating blogs and participating in forums - having a voice!

There are still many people who have no access to computers or technology. This gap is sometimes called the digital divide and this concept is called digital exclusion. Reasons for digital exclusion could be fear of new technologies, the cost associated with equipment, or lack of access and support. Helping people get access to technology to improve their skills or lives is called digital inclusion.

Project Structure
Digital inclusion is something that is been looked at by many countries and there are several initiatives across the rest of the UK. It is an increasingly important topic - Read more about digital inclusion elsewhere.

Communities @One was a digital inclusion programme for Wales that was set up by the Communities Directorate of the Welsh Assembly Government. It was supported by partners including Citizens Online, The Scarman Trust, BT and BBC Wales, who formed the Advisory Group with others.

Project Objectives
The project aimed to bridge the digital divide, by providing support with the availability of grant funding, to get technologies to those that need it most. Communities @One helped communities see what a difference technology could make to their lives.
Communities @One helped people in the most disadvantaged communities in Wales gain access to new technologies through support and the availability of a grant fund.
The initiative took a community led approach, responding to local needs, and building on existing digital inclusion work. It aimed to help people who are most excluded from new technologies and give them the opportunity to see what it can do for them.
The initiative gave communities the opportunity to say what their community needed, developing a project plan that was tailored to the needs of their community. At the very heart of Communities @One was its focus on grass roots community development.  

Communities @One was delivered by the Wales Co–operative Centre.