Coventry City Council secures funding for 'pioneering' digital recycling scheme
#CovConnects Device Bank launched last year
Coventry City Council has secured £80,000 to help expand what it calls its "pioneering digital recycling scheme."
#CovConnects Device Bank launched last year and is part of the Council's Digital Inclusion programme - aiming to provide community organisations and charities digital devices which can be distributed to residents and communities.
It launched on principles of circular economy, reusing and repairing Coventry City Council end of corporate life devices, which could be distributed across the city. It also received further investment from the WMCA Connected Services programme with brand new devices.
Over the past year, around 2,500 devices have been provided to organisations across the city.
The Council was awarded the funding following a successful application to the Time after Time fund late last year.
The fund was created and is distributed by Hubbub and Virgin Media O2 and looks to fund projects that help to close the digital divide while reducing electronic waste.
A total of £500,000 is being shared across organisations and community projects across the country as part of the fund to help communities in need get online.
This means that the programme will be able to provide more organisations with devices thereby ensuring more vulnerable residents receive access to digital devices.
Cllr Richard Brown, Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources, said: “Our #CovConnects programme is all about making sure none of our residents are digitally excluded. That’s why I’m delighted we’ve won this funding.
“This money will allow us to expand our efforts and get more of these devices into the hands of the most vulnerable. Having your own device, which you can use every day, is something that has the potential to completely transform your life.
“This project is a true partnership with the NHS, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and other partners across the city. Together we can make Coventry truly digitally inclusive.”