ROTARIANS in Barnard Castle are spearheading efforts to ensure the dale’s youngsters can access IT equipment.
The Rotary’s satellite E-Club of Barnard Castle put out an appeal for donations of laptops, tablets, iPads, and desktop computers that were no longer being used.
To date, some 50 pieces of kit have been offered by individuals and small businesses, with many items being given to the project after donors had received new equipment at Christmas.
Ben Collins, of TinkerDog Computers, Barnard Castle, ensures that all donated items are digitally cleaned to industry standards, and, where possible, made “student ready” with appropriate software.
This process is time consuming and determines the rate at which equipment can be released to schools for distribution to pupils. However, to aid increased capacity, the e-club has arranged for the purchase of additional hardware.
A donation of £500 by county councillors Richard Bell, George Richardson, Ted Henderson, and Heather Smith is being used to assist in this, and also with the purchase of child-proof cases, power adapters and other items to help prepare the equipment for distribution to schools.
With confidentiality and safeguarding strategies in place, the first distribution of donated equipment to local schools began this month with the delivery of iPads to St Mary’s RC Primary school, Barnard Castle, and several laptops and tablets are currently being made ready for a local secondary school.
All Teesdale schools are being contacted by the e-club to establish their IT needs.
Natalie Carter Sedgewick, business manager at St Mary’s, said: “The iPads donated have been a huge support in these unusual times.
“We have been able to offer more devices to children at home and still retain some in school for the children still attending.”
Dr Richard Witham, chairman of the Rotary Satellite E-Club, added: “It’s marvellous that so many people have donated IT items they no longer use.
“One of Rotary’s core aims is service to the local community and we will do our best to ensure that every item received will benefit a Barnard Castle or Teesdale school child.”
With the continuation of lockdown, it is especially important to ensure pupils have access to appropriate IT resources to continue their studies.
Donations of laptops, tablets and iPads are still, being welcomed.
Ideally laptops should be less than five or six years old and have Windows 7, 8 or 10 installed (upgrades to Windows 10 can be undertaken where necessary) – with any equipment found to be faulty or too old being used for repairs and spares.
For information as to how to donate, email: rotarysatbc@gmail.com
