THE Digital Xtra Fund has become Scotland’s first charity dedicated to supporting a range of digital skills initiatives for those under the age of 16.
The announcement comes after it received official charitable status from Scottish charity regulator, OSCR, and was made by the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Shirley-Anne Somerville, who was speaking in Glasgow at Tackling the Technology Gender Gap Together 2017.
Digital Xtra is now calling on Scotland’s tech industry to give donations, sponsorships and offers of in-kind support to ensure that extracurricular digital initiatives are available to young people wherever they live and whatever their background.
A key objective of the new charity is to encourage more girls into digital mediums and to consider STEM subjects while in school.
Somerville, said: “Investment in the digital skills of our young people is crucial to Scotland’s future.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here