Push to provide Wiltshire children with refurbished laptops nears target
One South Wiltshire school has also put out a direct plea for help
Last updated 29th Jan 2021
A Wiltshire Community Interest Company that's been working since the start of the pandemic to help reduce the 'digital divide' is edging ever closer to reaching their crowdfunding target.
Wiltshire Digital Drive launched a GoFundMe page in July last year, hoping to raise £10,000 that would be put towards collecting, wiping, and refurbishing old and unwanted tech, and handing them back out to families that need them for home schooling.
They're now less than £500 away from reaching the target, with a final push to get there.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio earlier this month, co-director Natalie Sherman said there's a real need for support in the county:
"The digital divide has been something that has gone under the radar but has been known about for quite a lot of years since the internet came about and laptops and smart phones etc. but actually it has been magnified and made a lot worse due to lockdown because the schools having to close and children having to go to a remote learning set up, as well as parents working from home.
"(It's) brought about this issue and brought it to the forefront because previously adults who may not be able to afford tech would get it supplied at their work place and children would have it supplied at school but everything pushed online has kind of exacerbated the digital divide in the county."
The campaign has now had 1,000 laptops donated to them for redistribution.
You can support the campaign on their GoFundMe page directly.
SCHOOL'S DIRECT APPEAL FOR HELP
One of the schools that's been in touch with Wiltshire Digital Drive about getting support for their students is the Trafalgar School at Downton.
They've put an plea on their Facebook for anyone who might be able to help with donating unwanted laptops for their pupils to benefit from.
In their post the school has said:
"We have exhausted our supply of school laptops to lend to students in need, as well as the laptops supplied by the Government. We still have some families who are struggling with online learning due to having IT issues and juggling multiple children at home needing separate devices to access online learning."
If you can help the Trafalgar School with any extra tech, you can email them on laptopdonations@trafalgar.wilts.sch.uk