Empowering Digital Growth

Who we are

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How we work

The DIZ is a highly innovative and inclusive digital partnership jointly owned and created by large and small organisations together investing many hundreds of millions of pounds per year in serving local residents and businesses. The DIZ is not a legal entity in its own right but is comprised of many statutory bodies. This means that while the DIZ applies for funding collectively, the delivery of its work and these programmes is via one of the partners acting as an accountable body.

The partnership is led by the DIZ Executive Board comprised of an elected member and lead officer from each of the funding local authorities. The board is led by our Chair, Cllr Alan Lion (Epping Forest DC) and supported by a Vice-chair.

The DIZ Executive Board meets monthly.

The Executive Board identifies and pursues external funding opportunities, organises events eg. Smart Place Seminars and conferences, produces DIZ Matters, and evaluates the application locally of different digital approaches and technologies.

The DIZ Digital Innovation Forum meets every two months and is open to partners, colleagues and supportive organisations from across, and beyond, our place committed to the aims and objectives of the partnership and looking to work collaboratively to meet the digital challenge.

The Digital Innovation Forum is a key platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration, and aims to bring forward a range of guest speakers on the key emerging digital opportunities, issues and challenges facing the public and voluntary sectors.

The key audience for the Digital Innovation Forum is the wider network of local public and voluntary sector colleagues and organisations from across the DIZ geography. However, the audience is continually evolving, and we are open to sharing these sessions with interested and supportive organisations from beyond the DIZ. New partners are welcome, and we are keen to adopt and promote a collegiate and collaborative approach for organisations interested in getting involved in supporting and shaping the work of the DIZ.

Partners have asked that working digitally is not just about technology but also about adopting an agile approach to working.

Our Partners

Local Authorities (County)

Essex County Council
Lead: Cllr Lesley Wagland, Doug Parrant

Hertfordshire County Council
Lead: Sophie Mance

Local Authorities
(District / Borough)

Epping Forest District Council
Lead: Cllr Alan Lion, James Warwick

Harlow Council
Lead: Cllr Alastair Gunn, David Sellings

Uttlesford District Council
Lead: Cllr Neil Reeve, Adrian Webb, Sarah Lewin

Voluntary Sector

Our voluntary and community sector partners are critical experts in the delivery of frontline digital services to those residents most in need, including those experiencing digital exclusion.

WECAN
Lead: Ali Firth

CVS Uttlesford
Lead: Clive Emmett

Rainbow Services
Lead: Sharon Summerfield

CDA Herts
Lead: Tim Hayward-Smith

Health Sector

We work with partners from across the health landscape to explore the potential for digital to transform and underpin the future of healthcare. These include:

Herts + West Essex ICS

Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (EPUT)

Princess Alexandra Hospital

West Essex CCG

Private Sector

Our partners from the private sector support the DIZ with access to real-world experience of digital applications and understanding of key digital trends.

UK Innovation Corridor (UKIC)
Lead: John McGill

CGI
Lead: Stacey Van Bergen

Insight MCL
Lead: Abby Fisher

Education Sector

Partners from education are able to highlight key digital research topics and areas for exploration as well as providing key expertise on emerging digital issues and opportunities.

Anglia Ruskin University
Leads: Professor Jennifer Schooling, Fiona Bodle, David Rutt, Sarah Bell

Harlow College

Herts Regional College

New City College – Epping Forest

Associates:

The DIZ has also worked to develop its agenda and deliver its work programme with the support and assistance of other organisations including: East Herts District Council, Broxbourne Borough Council, Microsoft, KAO Data, Public Health England, Arup, BT, Virgin, Gigaclear, Easel TV, DCMS, Cambridge Wireless, Vaden Solutions, Haileybury College, Chesterford Research Park. Whilst not partners to the DIZ the support and encouragement of bodies such as these is integral to the progress the DIZ has made to date and to its continuing efforts.

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DIZ Chair

Councillor Alan Lion, Epping Forest DC
With a long background in strategic development at major UK telecoms companies, Cllr Alan Lion is Chair of the Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) Board and Vice-chairman at Epping Forest District Council. Alan has significant experience of driving the change agenda at Epping Forest District Council. He believes digital investment and use offers this area a great opportunity to future proof our successful local economies and provide a new platform to transform quality and efficiency in the public services.

Contact Alan by email on cllr.alion@eppingforestdc.gov.uk”

DIZ Programme Manager + Acting Director 

Mike Warr
Mike is the full-time Programme Manager + Acting Director for the DIZ having helped to establish and develop it from inception in his role as an Economic Development Officer at Epping Forest District Council. He was specifically responsible for the project management of the DCMS Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) ‘Ultrafast GPs’ project which delivered full fibre broadband connectivity to GP surgeries across the DIZ. Mike manages the delivery plan for the DIZ Digital Innovation Strategy and partner liaison to ensure the DIZ partnership operates effectively across the various administrative boundaries.

Contact Mike by email on mwarr@eppingforestdc.gov.uk

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