An initiative aiming to equip 100,000 people with AI skills by June has been launched.

The giving platform Neighbourly and Microsoft have teamed up to unveil Ai123.

The comes as Neighbourly research reveals that 64% of charities have yet to engage with generative AI, while 72% report significant digital struggles due to financial constraints, and 8.5 million people in the UK lack even basic digital skills.

It said that while corporate Britain invests heavily in AI adoption, the gap in AI skills between the corporate and charity sectors widens.

The Ai123 campaign aims to tackle this through an innovative Train-the-Trainer model, connecting corporate volunteers from major companies including Virgin Media O2 and Currys with grassroots organisations. The programme is designed to encourage the ripple effect: one trained volunteer empowers one or more charity leaders, who then share skills with colleagues, volunteers and ultimately thousands of service users.

"This isn't just about technology – it's about survival," explained Zoe Colosimo, COO at Neighbourly. "Charities are stretched beyond breaking point with limited budgets and overwhelming demand. The Government AI plan unveiled in January made no specific mention of the charitable sector. AI could transform everything from fundraising efficiency to service delivery, but the knowledge gap is becoming a real concern because of the pace of change. Ai123 delivers the entry-level knowledge and confidence that charities desperately need to get started safely."

The programme focuses on practical, needs-based training identified by charities themselves – understanding baseline AI skills and entry points to help with everything from planning rotas to social media marketing – ensuring immediate applicability rather than theoretical concepts.

For participating corporations, Ai123 offers a structured way to create meaningful social impact while both learning and sharing valuable digital expertise. Early corporate participants report significant employee interest in providing a structured way to share their evolving AI knowledge.

The campaign launches today with an initial target of 100,000 people trained, with exponential impact expected as knowledge cascades through participating organisations and communities.

Charities can join the Neighbourly platform free of charge to take part in Ai123. To discuss participation, businesses should contact enquiries@neighbourly.com.

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