Phone data and laptops made available for children’s homework during lockdown
Families with limited internet access have been given a boost thanks to a developer’s donation.
Battersea Power Station Development Company has gifted £10,000 to the scheme to fund emergency phone data top-up vouchers for school pupils.
Wandsworth council has sent them to schools who will pass them on to families to continue their children’s education from home.
Parents and carers have been facing problems trying to download schoolwork and stay connected to teachers and the outside world.
Councillor Will Sweet, Wandsworth council’s spokesman for Education and children’s services, said: “This initiative will provide much-needed support for families at this difficult time, and I’d like to thank the Battersea Power Station Foundation and our children’s services team for working in partnership to get this incredible project off the ground so quickly and out to the children who really need it.”
The developer is also spearheading a scheme where volunteers recycle old laptops and tablets so hospital patients can connect with their loved ones while they are in lockdown.
Residents and businesses across Wandsworth are being asked to donate old laptops and tablets that are in full working order to be re-purposed by volunteers with IT experience who are giving some of their time and expertise to help.
A computer renovation hub has been set up with strict social distancing practices in place.
It will be staffed by volunteers who will wipe the computers before turning them into Chromebooks. Each device will be thoroughly cleaned and delivered to community organisations, such as St George’s CE Primary School in Battersea, who will distribute them to local families and patients at St George’s NHS Hospital.
Sarah Collymore, headteacher at St George’s CE Primary School in Battersea, said: “The Power to Connect campaign will be such a support to families on the estate who are home-schooling during the Covid-19 crisis.
“The need for greater internet use at this time can prove impossible for families using Pay As You Go data or without computers, with children struggling to access their online learning. Lockdown can also be extremely lonely if you have no way of communicating with the world outside. However, as data credit runs out and families need to prioritise food over internet access, they can be left feeling isolated, disconnected and unable to access the wealth of home-learning resources out there.”
Alex Baker, director of communities and sustainability at BPSDC, said: “The current lockdown situation is challenging for everyone, but without access to a computer or broadband it can be an even more lonely and stressful experience.
“We hope the Power to Connect campaign will help raise awareness of the digital exclusion issue faced by many of the UK’s poorest families, so it can be tackled both during lockdown and in the future to ensure those in most need are able to stay connected.”
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