As many families are feeling the strain of sharing computers for home-schooling and working from home, Palace are calling on supporters to donate unused appliances to help give local school children and isolated elderly people IT devices for learning and communication purposes.
Supporters are being encouraged to donate laptops in good working order and any phones or tablets to the donation point at Selhurst Park stadium on Mondays and Thursdays between 10-2.
Palace for Life Foundation Patron and television presenter, Susanna Reid, said: “The digital divide risks damaging the life chances of this generation. Accessibility to these essential devices is a priority to ensure these young people can complete their schoolwork and continue to receive an education.
“Anyone who is able to donate a laptop or device to this appeal will be helping to prevent a crisis happening on our doorsteps.”
Lack of access to devices is being felt keenly in Croydon, where a survey of 24/200 Croydon schools found that within those schools 383 families did not have access to IT devices or the internet, with at least 600 further families having to share devices throughout their home, highlighting the urgency of this appeal.
Working with KeepCroydonConnected, a partnership between Croydon Commitment, Croydon Voluntary Action and Go2Games, all devices that are received as a part of this campaign will be sent for data cleaning.
If the device can't be re-purposed then the KeepCroydonConnected campaign will receive a payment for it that will be used to purchase other restored devices to distribute to local school children and isolated elderly people.
Croydon Central MP, Sarah Jones, is an advocate of the campaign. She said: “I've been driving round collecting devices from generous people right across Croydon and dropping them off at schools. We need to make sure that the vulnerable members of our community can keep connected.
“Whether that’s providing devices to help school children and their families to support online learning, or to help elderly residents suffering from loneliness. I’m proud that our local Premier League club and Palace for Life is getting behind the campaign, bridging the digital divide that’s impacting so many families in Croydon.”
To donate a device, visit the drop off centre at Selhurst Park on Mondays and Thursdays 10-2. Alternatively, you can post it to: G2G Limited, PO Box 2069, London, CR90 9NF.
If you have any questions regarding donations, please contact Duncan on DuncanRobinson@palaceforlife.org
