GovTech Catalyst Challenge- Responsive Rural Community Connections

Monmouthshire is a semi-rural county in South East Wales with a population of around 93,000. We are blessed with diverse and beautiful surroundings, thriving towns and vast amounts of social capital. Yet the diversity of our landscape has it’s challenges.

Loneliness is a serious social issue…… It is an established risk factor for increased health and social care service usage and the development of particular health conditions Lacking social connections is as comparable a risk factor for early death as smoking 15 cigarettes a day Increases the likelihood of mortality by 26%.

How can we use technology to combat rural loneliness and transport deprivation, helping people to help each other whilst easing the pressures on health and social care budgets and reducing local transport subsidies

A challenge in three parts: How can we use technology to improve our interaction with older people to reduce loneliness whilst alleviating digital exclusion? How can we co-ordinate transport more efficiently to increase peoples’ ability to travel in rural areas whilst reducing public subsidy? How do we better connect people in rural areas to improve well-being and reduce pressure on the health and social care systems whilst improving service efficiency?

What could success look like?

A greater sense of wellbeing, purpose and belonging for people of all ages; Increased transport opportunities that are affordable and sustainable; Reduced health service admissions, decreasing future service provision and public sector costs; Increased economic prosperity and reduced inequality; Adaptable, sustainable and scalable solutions.

twitter - @MonmouthshireCC Opens 16th July / Closes 5 Sept Funding of up to £50K each for five technology companies to undertake R&D phase £500k for two companies to undertake pilot development Support for competition winners Firms retain Intellectual Property twitter - @MonmouthshireCC

Why take the Govtech catalyst approach? Range of solutions designed to meet real societal issues Reduced risk through fully funded research and development Greater level of cross-sector collaboration, all working towards the same goal

monmouthshire.gov.uk/govtech_challenge KathrynWilliams@monmouthshire.gov.uk monmouthshire.gov.uk/govtech_challenge