Donate digital devices through High Sheriff’s scheme to support Central Bedfordshire pupils
Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Members of the public are being encouraged to donate their no longer used digital devices to be data erased, refurbished and distributed to pupils across Central Bedfordshire.
The High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, Susan Lousada, launched the scheme earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure children who are in need of a device, but not eligible to receive one through a government scheme, could still receive one and participate in learning. So far over 570 devices have been donated to pupils across Central Bedfordshire and over 1,700 across Bedfordshire as a whole.
Between Thursday 11 March and Thursday 1 April, members of the public can donate devices at five drop off points across Central Bedfordshire:
- Biggleswade Town Council offices on Mondays and Wednesdays between 10am and midday
- Grove House, Dunstable from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm
- The Rufus Centre in Flitwick from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm
- Houghton Regis library from Tuesday to Friday between 9:30am and 6pm, and on Saturdays between 9am and 4pm
- Leighton Linslade library from Tuesday to Saturday between 10am and 2pm
The High Sheriff’s scheme is hoping for donations of:
- laptops that are under five years old, with a charger, that can still be switched on (including Chromebooks)
- iPads, which should have no physical damage, should be disconnected from iCloud and should come with a charger
- smart phones, which can be recycled, with the funds raised offset against refurbishment costs
To ensure minimum contact when dropping off devices, the High Sheriff is asking people to donate each individual device and charger in a carrier bag and to continue to adhere to the government’s coronavirus guidelines, maintaining space and wearing a face covering.
All devices will be professionally data wiped by Veritas Digital, which is working closely with the High Sheriff on the scheme.
The High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, Susan Lousada, said:
We have been running this scheme since the start of the pandemic and have had an excellent response, so I would like to thank all those who have donated devices so far.
Whilst there have been a number of schemes set up to help the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, there is still a gap and there are still pupils who do not have the devices they need to help their learning. Addressing this, and continuing the scheme, is really important to ensure pupils are not disadvantaged because they do not have access to electronic devices at home and so they can fully partake in education.
Councillor Sue Clark, our Executive Member for Families, Education and Children said:
The High Sheriff has done an amazing job of securing laptops for school children who urgently need them. Her scheme has helped many children in Central Bedfordshire access remote learning during this pandemic and I heartily commend her wonderful initiative.
Once they have been professionally refurbished, devices will be distributed to schools across Central Bedfordshire by the High Sheriff’s office. It costs the High Sheriff’s office a maximum of £40 to refurbish a laptop, compared with an estimated £220 to purchase a reconditioned device.