Wish Digital Community Hub Empowers Women and Migrants in Tower Hamlets

Key Points

• Wish Foundation has announced the launch of the Wish Digital Community Hub in Tower Hamlets to support women, refugees, asylum seekers and digitally excluded residents.
• The Hub will provide free, beginner-friendly digital skills sessions, focusing on basic computer use, email, smartphones, and access to essential online services.
• The project is designed especially for women from migrant backgrounds, people experiencing isolation, and residents unable to access mainstream digital training because of cost, confidence or language barriers.
• Weekly sessions will be led by trained digital support volunteers in a safe, supportive and welcoming environment, allowing participants to learn at their own pace.
• The initiative responds to the growing reliance on digital systems for healthcare, school communication, banking, benefits and job applications in Tower Hamlets.
• Wish Foundation founder and chair Nasima Islam says many local women feel overwhelmed by simple digital tasks due to lack of time, patience and encouragement from others.
• Islam stresses that the Hub’s purpose is long‑term empowerment, helping women build confidence step by step and gain skills that support independence and opportunity for themselves and their families.
• The Wish Digital Community Hub builds on the charity’s existing work, including weekly food support for 60–80 low-income, homeless, refugee and migrant families.
• The foundation also runs women’s mental health coffee mornings, a women’s fitness club, and ongoing support for elderly and isolated community members.
• By tackling digital exclusion, the new Hub aims to strengthen social inclusion, individual independence and overall community resilience in Tower Hamlets.

A new digital skills hub in Tower Hamlets has been launched by the WISH Foundation to support women, refugees, asylum seekers and digitally excluded residents, with the charity promising free, beginner-friendly training aimed at tackling the growing problem of digital exclusion in one of London’s most diverse boroughs.

What is the Wish Digital Community Hub and who will it support?

As outlined in the announcement provided by WISH Foundation, the organisation has launched the Wish Digital Community Hub as

“a new community initiative created to support women, refugees, asylum seekers, and digitally excluded residents in Tower Hamlets.”

According to the same WISH Foundation announcement, the Hub is specifically targeted at people who “face barriers such as low confidence, limited access to technology, language challenges, and social isolation.” The charity notes that many local residents now rely heavily on digital systems for everyday essentials, including healthcare appointments, school communication, banking, welfare benefits and job applications, but struggle to use these services independently.

The project has been “designed especially for women from migrant backgrounds, individuals experiencing isolation, and those who are unable to access mainstream digital training due to cost, confidence, or language barriers,” the foundation states. In practice, this means a focus on groups who may not feel able to attend formal college courses or commercial training programmes, and who may lack equipment, connectivity or English language confidence.

What kind of digital support will the Hub provide?

In its detailed description of the programme, the WISH Foundation explains that the Wish Digital Community Hub will provide “free, beginner-friendly digital skills support” to local residents. Sessions will be delivered weekly by “trained digital support volunteers”, with a strong emphasis on practical help and confidence building rather than technical jargon.

The charity sets out a range of core activities that will be available through the Hub, including:

• Basic computer and device use
• Email setup and online communication
• Accessing essential online services
• Online safety and digital confidence building
• Using smartphones and everyday apps

As set out by WISH Foundation, this mix of support is intended to reflect the actual needs of residents in Tower Hamlets, many of whom now encounter digital tools primarily through mobile phones and online public services rather than desktop computers. The focus on online safety is also presented as central to the project, with the aim of ensuring that new users can navigate the internet without exposing themselves to scams, fraud or harassment.

How will the learning environment be structured and why is it important?

According to the WISH Foundation’s announcement, sessions at the Wish Digital Community Hub “will take place in a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment where participants can learn at their own pace and ask questions freely.” The charity positions this atmosphere as a deliberate contrast to more formal educational settings, which can be intimidating for adults who have had limited access to schooling or who carry negative experiences from previous learning.

The organisation emphasises that low confidence is one of the most significant barriers faced by those who are digitally excluded. By allowing participants to proceed step by step, repeat tasks as needed and receive one-to-one support from volunteers, the Hub aims to reduce anxiety associated with using unfamiliar technology.

WISH Foundation also highlights that the project will prioritise cultural sensitivity and understanding of the lived experiences of migrant women and other marginalised residents. Although the announcement does not specify the precise location or schedule of sessions, the emphasis on a safe and welcoming environment suggests that trust-building and community connection will be integral to the Hub’s operation.

Why does Nasima Islam believe digital exclusion is such a challenge for local women?

In a statement included in the WISH Foundation’s launch announcement, Nasima Islam, Founder and Chair of Wish Foundation, directly addresses the emotional and psychological impact of digital exclusion on women in the area.

As reported in the WISH Foundation communication, Nasima Islam said:

“For many women in our community, simple digital tasks feel overwhelming — not because they lack ability, but because no one has ever given them the time, patience, or encouragement they deserve. Through the Wish Digital Community Hub, we are creating a space where women can learn without fear, build confidence step by step, and gain skills that support independence and opportunity. Our aim is not just digital learning, but long-term empowerment for individuals and their families.”

Her remarks frame digital exclusion not just as a technical gap but as a social and emotional issue rooted in lack of support, opportunity and recognition. By referring to “time, patience, or encouragement,” Islam suggests that existing services have not always been accessible or responsive to the circumstances of women balancing care responsibilities, work, migration experiences and language learning.

The emphasis on “long-term empowerment” indicates that the Hub is intended to do more than address immediate practical needs; it seeks to change how women see themselves and their capabilities, with potential ripple effects for their children and wider households.

How does this initiative build on Wish Foundation’s existing community work?

The Wish Digital Community Hub is described by WISH Foundation as an extension of the charity’s established programmes in Tower Hamlets, which focus on supporting vulnerable residents facing economic hardship, isolation and health challenges.

According to the organisation’s own summary of its activities, the charity currently delivers:

• Weekly food support for 60–80 low-income, homeless, refugee, and migrant families
• Regular women’s mental health coffee mornings
• A women’s fitness club promoting wellbeing and connection
• Ongoing support for elderly and isolated community members

By placing the new digital hub alongside these existing initiatives, WISH Foundation presents itself as a multifaceted community actor that addresses both immediate material needs, such as food insecurity, and longer-term social and health concerns, including mental wellbeing and physical fitness.

The new digital project can therefore be seen as another strand in a broader effort to help residents in Tower Hamlets cope with the pressures of high living costs, complex welfare systems and the emotional strain of migration, isolation and poverty. Digital skills are framed as an essential tool for navigating these challenges rather than an optional extra.

How does the Hub aim to tackle digital exclusion and strengthen community resilience?

In its concluding remarks, the WISH Foundation announcement states that,

“By addressing digital exclusion, the Wish Digital Community Hub represents an important step towards greater inclusion, independence, and community resilience in Tower Hamlets.”

This statement links individual digital skills to wider community outcomes. The charity argues that when residents are able to manage online appointments, communicate with schools, access banking and apply for jobs without external help, they gain greater control over their lives and reduce dependence on overstretched advice and support services.

Improved digital literacy can also help residents connect with one another, access online community groups and participate in local decision-making, contributing to a more informed and engaged population. For migrant women in particular, the ability to use digital tools may open pathways to employment, education and social networks that were previously inaccessible.

The concept of “community resilience” used by WISH Foundation in its description of the Hub suggests that the charity views digital inclusion as part of a broader strategy for helping Tower Hamlets adapt to economic uncertainty, rapid technological change and the legacies of the Covid‑19 pandemic, during which many services moved online.

What might this mean for the future of digital inclusion in Tower Hamlets?

While the WISH Foundation announcement does not detail funding arrangements, long-term targets or partnership structures, the launch of the Wish Digital Community Hub adds to a growing landscape of local initiatives aimed at tackling digital inequality in London.

By focusing specifically on women, refugees, asylum seekers and other residents who have been left behind by mainstream training provision, the project could serve as a model for hyper-local, community‑led digital inclusion efforts. If the Hub is able to demonstrate improved confidence, employment outcomes or reduced reliance on crisis services among participants, it may attract wider attention from local authorities, funders and policymakers.

At the same time, the scale of digital exclusion in areas with high poverty and high migration levels means that a single community hub cannot resolve the issue alone. The WISH Foundation’s decision to integrate digital training with existing food, mental health and fitness support may point towards a holistic approach in which digital skills are treated as one element of a wider support package.

For now, the charity’s own words position the Wish Digital Community Hub as a concrete step towards that vision. Through free, volunteer-led sessions and an emphasis on patience, encouragement and safe learning spaces, WISH Foundation argues that women and other marginalised residents of Tower Hamlets can begin to overcome the sense of being “overwhelmed” by digital technology and move towards greater independence and opportunity.