A project to provide laptops for children in low-income families could include Salisbury.
Wiltshire Digital Drive, awarded a £5,000 Coronavirus Response Fund grant by the Wiltshire Community Foundation, has sent out 150 refurbished laptops and has 100 more ready to go out.
The project, begun by IT firm Priority IT, became a community interest company with hopes to supply thousands of laptops and tablets to families. Many have been distributed through Wiltshire Council and schools.
Director Natalie Sherman said: “We are making a concerted effort to get applications and donations from Salisbury. We want the project to cover the whole of the county, and we are really passionate about making it for everyone’s benefit. We know lots of people and companies have old tech sitting around that they don’t use. They could make a huge difference to a young person’s life.”
The project began when Priority IT managing director Kieran Thomas was asked by a careers advisor via social media if he could help pupils in lockdown whose parents couldn’t afford laptops to help them do online lessons.
Ms Sherman, whose firm Naturally Social manages the company’s social media, said they put out an appeal for second-hand laptops and were overwhelmed with the response. The story was picked up by BBC Breakfast and the publicity brought even more donations in.
“Everyone got behind it from day one and we managed to match demand with product until we had some coverage on BBC Breakfast and then the donations went up,” said Ms Sherman. “We had 100 in a week from all over the place. We even had some from Manchester and other people were driving two hours just to drop them off.”
She said the feedback from families who have received the laptops has been uplifting. “There have been some really touching stories, like children who were going into lock-down with five siblings and two working parents and had nothing to do their coursework on or being unable to apply for university places,” she said.
“We had other children who had been removed from their homes because of abusive relationships between their parents and had to leave everything behind.”
She said it costs £20 to £30 to ensure each laptop is refurbished and ready to be gifted. “They all go out with anti-virus software and a Microsoft package, so they are ready to use,” she said.
“Some are completely unusable, so we recycle them. That’s another side of the project because it means old tech is being recycled responsibly rather than them going into bins or ending up in landfill.”
To donate a laptop or device, or apply for one, search for Wiltshire Digital Drive on Facebook or go to wiltshiredigitaldrive.org
To donate to the Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Fund or to find out how to apply for a grant, go to wiltshirecf.org.uk
Pictured: Wiltshire Digital Drive directors Natalie Sherman and Kieran Thomas