Free laptops distributed to complement London initiative

The Digital Poverty Alliance is distributing laptops to complement the launch of Westminster’s Open Roaming Initiative, helping to ensure young people can access the digital world. 

The project builds on Westminster’s new OpenRoaming initiative, which provides free, public access to Wi-Fi across the borough. Tech4Youth Westminster bridges the next critical gap - ensuring young people not only have internet access, but also the devices and confidence needed to fully participate in digital life.

Research from Trust for London analysed 2021 census information to discern the poverty rate in Westminster specifically of 42 per cent is considerably high to the rest of London and, in many Westminster schools, as many as 45 per cent of students either lack access to the internet or rely solely on a shared smartphone at home. 

The Tech4Youth Westminster initiative will provide refurbished laptops and digital skills workshops, directly tackling the three core pillars of digital exclusion: access, connectivity, and confidence.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, commented: “Digital exclusion is one of the greatest inequalities facing young people today, especially in areas like Westminster, where high poverty rates hide behind affluence. Tech4Youth Westminster is about putting practical tools into young people’s hands, literally.”

“By combining device access with free internet and skills training, we’re giving young Londoners the chance to learn, connect, and thrive in a digital world. This project shows the power of local action in closing the digital divide.”