Children have lost so much education over the past year. Schools have done their best to teach children online but many don’t have the right equipment to be able to study in this way. If we don’t act to help children bridge the digital divide then the long term consequence of the pandemic will be to widen inequality and harm some children’s prospects in the future. We have to do what we can to stop that happening. That’s why I have teamed up with Ro Hands, the team at LearnPlay and other partners to launch Wolves Tech Aid – a project to recycle computing equipment and get it to children who need it for online learning.

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As a not-for-profit organisation with educational, community, charitable & digital aims, we champion & advocate for digital inclusion.

When Pat McFadden , our local MP, raised his concerns about the impact of the pandemic on children’s education as well as the digital inequality & divide, we were compelled to be of as much service as we could to help develop this initiative.

We have worked alongside Pat and his fantastic team to develop this initiative and we will be helping to run it over this coming year.

Driven by Digital is a key priority in the City’s Relighting the City recovery commitment. The City is supporting the rollout of future proofed digital infrastructure but recognises that to maximise benefit locally, we need to tackle the digital divide supporting residents to get online, improve digital skills, support businesses to digitalise and introduce Smart technology to support the delivery of services. Going forward, digital needs to be considered the 4th utility. As a City, we have ambitions to support a 100% digitally included Wolverhampton so are happy to support Wolves Tech Aid through offering drop off points and supporting distribution as well as aligning with other digital inclusion initiatives that support residents to get online.

Heather Clark
Digital Co-ordinator
Heather.Clark2@wolverhampton.gov.uk

I’m delighted that we at Wolves Foundation are partnering with LearnPlay Foundation, Pat McFadden MP and City of Wolverhampton Council on the Wolves Tech Aid campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated so many issues, with digital poverty being one that has really been brought to the forefront with children not being at school with lockdown, and the ongoing issue of classes being sent home due to positive cases in school. Therefore it’s vital that the learning of these pupils isn’t affected any more, by partnering with these other great organisations we aim to reduce that divide. It’s something we’re really proud to support and encourage all supporters of Wolves and local people to join us in doing so.

Previously, I was the CEO of a national charity that challenged inequalities in health by helping young people understand how to look after their health and wellbeing, in particular, the importance of a well-balanced, healthy diet, and regular exercise.

My work with youngsters, relied heavily on the latest technology and so enriched their experience that they learned quicker and helped with retention of their new-found knowledge to use now and for the rest of their lives. Having the right equipment and connectivity was vital. Many more children and their families will now live healthier, happier, longer lives because they have the tools they need to make the right choices.

I am backing Wolves Tech Aid because I believe it is the answer to being able to learn online and at home. All students will have the same educational opportunities to achieve their ambitions and expectations. You never know, your donation could help a future plumber, accountant, nurse or Wolverhampton’s next stand-up comedian.

What is certain is that the future is in technology and no child should be left behind because they do not have the right equipment or connection to the internet.

In a progressive digital age every child needs access to the internet to develop their skills, access learning and benefit from the vast treasure trove of free information that can help them succeed in the modern age.

Wolves Tech Aid is a magnificent project for Wolverhampton and 3dnative is proud to be a partner.

Repc Ltd is a forward-thinking social enterprise that specialises in re-purposing IT equipment for reuse in communities across the UK. We provide competitive, value for money products with the main objectives being to reduce e-waste and close the Digital Divide: the gap between those who have access to the Internet and those who do not.

Working in partnership with organisations with a keen sense of Corporate Social Responsibility, we collect redundant equipment, train people to refurbish them for reuse and then redistribute them to charities that work with disadvantaged groups, helping them to gain access to the internet.