Local schools are still desperate for laptops to give to children who are unable to get online to do their schoolwork.
We reached out to all our partner schools and the lack of devices, followed by food, is their number one concern. The Department for Education has delivered thousands of devices to primary and secondary schools across the country, but the demand still significantly outstrips the supply. As you know, children’s inability to access online learning is crippling – not only is it impossible for them to access their schoolwork but it also exacerbates social isolation and mental health issues. Parents, desperate to ensure that their children do not fall behind, are sending them to school. Many of our partner schools have packed classrooms staffed by overstretched teachers struggling to teach online and face-to-face. Anything we can do to help children access their learning effectively from home will have a significant positive impact on all fronts.
If you are based in south west London and have an old laptop (or tablet, at a pinch) that you no longer use or need, even if it is old and very, very slow, as long as it turns on, we really want it! If your workplace is upgrading devices, we would be thrilled to redistribute the old ones to our partner schools. If you have friends or neighbours looking to dispose of an old device, please send them our way. You can drop the laptop(s) in a sealed bag at the security gate at Emanuel or contact Lisa Irwin at lisa.irwin@emanuel.org.uk.
We will refurbish the laptops and distribute them to our partner schools as soon as possible.
If you prefer, you can make a donation towards the purchase of Chromebooks for our partner primary schools using the form below. It costs £200 to buy a Chromebook. Any amount you donate toward this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your support. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us.
Lisa Irwin, Anna Van Es and Jack Clark, Community Partnerships and Development team