Dorset Council recycling old tech to raise money for those in need
Cash will go into the Digital Doorway project, to provide laptops for others
Old laptops from Dorset Council will be recycled to raise money to provide kit for the county's 'digitally excluded'.
The authority's hoping to make £10,000 between now and 2025, and help 500 people in turn.
The Digital Doorway scheme is taking referrals from organisations that work with Dorset Council, to find those that could benefit from getting new devices.
Portfolio holder for Corporate Development and Transformation, Cllr Jill Haynes, said:
“There are still many people being left behind in what is becoming an increasingly digital world and I am delighted that we can help them in this way.
“Our scheme gifts laptops or tablets to people who face barriers to using digital, through either a lack of skills or not being able to afford devices to meet their needs.
“We are able to fund this through recycling our old laptops and computers, which also supports one of our priorities to reduce the council’s impact on the environment.”
Last year, the first phase of Digital Doorway which was funded with a £20,000 Covid Recovery grant, gifted devices to 96 people.
It also provided data to those that needed it.
One of those was Simon Hobbs from Swanage, who left his job as a primary school teacher because of a mental health crisis.
Simon was gifted a laptop, which helped him realise his dream of setting up his own crafting business. The 52-year-old said:
“To succeed in a business like mine, you need a website, you need Instagram, you need reels – you need digital.
“I only had a very old phone and Chromebook and with just those it would have taken a lot longer to get my business off the ground.
“The laptop has made it all possible. It’s the horse that drives my business and I’ll forever be grateful for it.”
Any organisation that would like to find out more about Digital Doorway and how to refer people they work with can email digitaldorset@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk