Campaign launched for Brits to donate unused laptops

A new campaign has started, calling on Britain to donate its unused laptops to children and young people in digital poverty so they can learn remotely when schools are closed. This follows research that over one in five people (21%) own a working laptop or tablet that they no longer use - that means there are at least 14 million working devices sitting in Britain’s cupboards and drawers, going unused.

If just one in every fourteen of Britain’s unused laptops were donated, laptop poverty among school children would be eliminated.

The Department for Opportunities is encouraging anyone with a spare laptop or tablet to donate it this half term as part of its End Laptop Poverty movement.

The End Laptop Poverty campaign will work by encouraging the public to donate an old device through one of its charity partners across the UK, either by post, collection or at a Covid-secure drop-off point. The options can be found on the website www.endlaptoppoverty.org.

The campaign’s charity partners will receive the donated device, securely wipe it, repair any damage and allocate it to a school or young person in need.

Sarah Atkinson, CEO of The Department for Opportunities, said: “Every single child in this country has a right to learn. But right now, millions of children from low-income families in the UK are facing a further barrier to their education due to a lack of technology.

“If anyone if your household has a spare working laptop or tablet hidden away somewhere, please take some time over half term to dig it out and follow the donation instructions on our website.

“Donating is lockdown-permitted, Covid-safe, and extraordinarily important. Providing a device may only tackle one element of digital poverty, though this research highlights the huge impact that donations from the public could have in bridging the divide.

“If you have no equipment to spare, please share this message with anyone that might do. Thank you for your support.”