Digital Donation Day raises £188k to support disadvantaged young people to continue learning at home

Digital Donation Day raises £188k to support disadvantaged young people to continue learning at home

On Friday 22^nd January, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) teamed up with the Manchester Evening News and Business in the Community (BITC) to hold a Digital Donation Day to encourage businesses and individuals to support the Greater Manchester Technology Fund.

The M.E.N Digital Donation Day raised £188,600 in donations of funds, new tech data packages and used device donations for the GM Tech Fund, to help digitally excluded young people across Greater Manchester.

The Greater Manchester Technology Fund, which was revived earlier this month by Andy Burnham, provides an emergency response to help support digitally- excluded young people with the technology and connectivity needed to continue their learning at home while schools and colleges remain closed. 

The tech fund is working in partnership with national charity, Business in the Community to accept donations of used technology devices and smart phones to be redistributed to young people through schools, colleges, and support workers.

The GM Tech Fund had already received the support of a number of businesses, including Auto Trader, Arup Group and ANS Group. Donations made during the Donation Day included a significant donation of 250 Dell laptops, Microsoft licenses and 40 refurbed devices from online fashion retailer, Boohoo.

Donations were also received from:

• AO household and electrical appliance retailer
• Clothing wholesaler Beechfield Brands Ltd
• Investment and pension consultants Rice Whatmough Crozier
• Manchester Barristers Chambers 18 St John Street Chambers
• Average Dad, partnered creator on Facebook Gaming
• Irwell Insurance Company
• Personal donation from Lauren Millward and family
• Personal donation from Graham and Helen Shead
• Payments technology firm AccessPay
• A number of anonymous donors

Diane Modahl MBE, chair of Greater Manchester’s Youth Task Force and lead for the Greater Manchester Tech Fund, said: “It was a pleasure to be part of the M.E.N Digital Donation Day to see Greater Manchester’s spirit sparked once again, as we came together to support our most vulnerable residents.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the organisations and individuals who have come forward to support the Greater Manchester Tech Fund so far. Your help has already enabled us to start getting kit out to young learners most in need across Greater Manchester. With each donation we are getting closer to closing the gap and preventing our young learners from becoming increasingly marginalised and at a disadvantage to their peers. We still have a way to go, which is why we are asking anyone who can support our digitally excluded young people, to do so in any way they can.”

Greater Manchester businesses in a position to support the fund, are being asked to do what they can to continue to help address digital and social exclusion in Greater Manchester and help support young people to thrive by pledging to:

• Make a financial donation to enable us to purchase devices and data connectivity packages 
• Donate new devices particularly laptops, Chromebooks and iPads 
• Donate data packages, portable hotspots, dongles and other connectivity devices
• Donate pre-loved working devices under 8 years old which will be repurposed by Business in the Community to support a young person in schools or colleges in GM.

BITC’s National Business Response Network connects national and local community groups, small businesses, local authorities and charities with businesses and brands who can offer support.  Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this network has made almost 4,000 matches and helped over 500,000 people get the aid, technology, food and supplies they need.

Find out more about the GM Tech Fund (Internal link)

Article Published: 26/01/2021 09:58 AM