Donations needed to help North Yorkshire's disadvantaged get online
People are being asked to donate any unwanted devices like phones, tablets and laptops
People in North Yorkshire are being asked to donate any unwanted devices to help those who are disadvantaged get online.
Reboot North Yorkshire was introduced at the start of the pandemic to provide internet access to school pupils and isolated residents.
Donations has meant the elderly have been able to talk to family and friends virtually.
The scheme operates by taking in laptop computers and other devices no longer needed by their owners and refurbishing them before they are distributed to those in need.
Devices and other supports available include mobile phones and tablets but also webcams, keyboards, chargers and data dongles.
The need still exists but the stockpile of available devices has diminished, so a fresh call has gone out for more donations. Pre-pandemic, around 30 per cent of North Yorkshire’s population had no, or limited, internet use.
Reboot North Yorkshire is a collaborative project led by the County Council, involving a wide range of partners across the county – including libraries, schools, businesses, charities and volunteers.
Machines are refurbished by experts and hard drives wiped of personal material, meaning there are no security issues with passing computers on.
They can be dropped off at local libraries that are participating in the scheme and will end up with those who need them most.
It is now easier for people to donate devices, through drop-off points around the county. Residents can find the nearest to them on rebootny.co.uk.
Robert Ling, North Yorkshire County Council's Assistant Director for Technology, said:
"It started through Covid to get devices to people who really needed them. There's still a need for people to be digitally connected. I think the pandemic highlighted something we already knew existed and this is a great way for people to donate those pieces of IT that they no longer need.
"Some people sell them, some people keep them in a drawer and what we'd ask is that people would take them to their local library and donate. What I'd also ask is that if you're a business in the area and you have more than one device that you want to donate then please get in touch because we've had some amazing donations from large organisations.
"There's been some really lovely stories about people being able to use Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Skype to contact family relatives over distances has been really nice. We've also got a lot of devices to students in need as well so they have the ability for them to continue working from home, so people's devices are going to another home to be loved for a little while longer."