It's 2020, we're in the middle of a global pandemic, and we don't know about you but we'd really struggle without the Internet right now! 

Times like this prove the importance of digital connectivity - not only for educational and work purposes but also for maintaining personal relationships and improving general well-being.

Unfortunately, not everyone in West Somerset has access to good broadband. Those of us out in the sticks are constantly battling a bad connection and then there are the increasing prices of broadband packages to contend with. 

As an organisation, we're keen to tackle the lack of digital connectivity, as part of our goal to prioritise young people on Exmoor. To do this, we need your help. We need to know if the lack of digital connectivity is impacting your lives. Has it hindered your ability to access educational or work material during the pandemic? Does it make working-from-home out of the question?

Answer our quick 1 minute survey.

At this time, we're keen to hear from ALL RESIDENTS of West Somerset, not just Exmoor. Your answers will help us find ways (and potential funding opportunities) to improve digital connectivity in this part of the county.

Thank you in advance!

As you'll know, the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic has put a stop to many events, including our Summit, which was planned for 26th March. Once we have all weathered this storm and made it through to the other side, we will set a new date for the Summit and an EYV members meeting thereafter.

In the mean time, we have contacted the housing associations, estate agents and local authorities we work with, to see if there is anything we can do to spread the word about the action they're taking, or help streamline their processes in some way.

We've also been using our social media pages to share new employment opportunities, activities for children (as many of our members are young parents), and the latest COVID-19 related advice from official bodies. 

Please take a look at our Facebook page for the most recent updates. If you have any information you'd like us to share, or if we can help you in any way during this difficult time, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Email: exmooryoungvoices@hotmail.com

Keep safe and well.

Megan and Kerrie
EYV Coordinators

Did you catch our recent feature on ITV Regional News? If not, watch the full clip above.

Our Chair, Will Lock and EYV members, Becky Nelder and Nick Hosegood were interviewed about the lack of affordable housing on Exmoor and how difficult it is for young people to remain here, in the place they grew up.

We think they did a fantastic job of sharing their personal experiences, as well as getting one of our key messages across - that we need more affordable housing options for our young residents and workers on Exmoor. Otherwise, there will be no one left here to live and work on the moor.

In an ideal world, we'd have had a longer feature. As with any broadcast, the interviews were edited and get cut down, but we feel we got one of our key messages across. In our opinion, any media coverage we can get is a positive thing, as it all helps to spread the word about our organisation and the goals we're working to achieve.

Since sharing the video on Facebook, we've had an impressive 2.6k views and 29 shares. It's also influenced new people to give our page a 'like', again helping to widen our reach and encourage new members to join EYV.

As a team, we'll be keeping an eye out for any other media opportunities for the charity, as we continue to work towards our goals of improving housing, employment, travel and digital inclusion for young people on Exmoor.