A charity helping young people meet their challenges is the latest to receive laptops in a scheme run by South Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland.
BEST – Be A Better You was founded in 2020 with the aim of providing a positive experience for young people dealing with social, emotional and mental health barriers.
Craig Hiscock from BEST said: “BEST are extremely grateful for the four laptops that were kindly donated to us.
“We are a small charity, and the laptops will be invaluable to us. They will be put to use to help young people with their studies”.
Sir Robert originally began his Laptops for Local Schools Campaign to run alongside the Government’s Get Help With Technology Scheme in January of 2021.
Local businesses SP Computers and Excalibur Communications joined forces with Sir Robert and have taken in donated devices to be refurbished and put back into use.
To date, around 60 laptops have been donated to school children across Swindon through the scheme.
In May of 2021, Sir Robert decided to extend the successful green scheme so that local charities could also benefit from donated laptops.
Following this, many such charities have benefitted from donated devices including Voluntary Action Swindon, Threshold Housing, Swindon Neuro Wellbeing Centre, and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
BEST has received four laptops, which were donated to the scheme by Swindon business Catalent and refurbished by the team at Excalibur.
The laptops will be put to use immediately in Swindon by young people supported by the charity.
Peter Allen, General Manager of Catelent’s facility in Swindon, said: “Catalent is delighted to have been able to contribute to the scheme and help develop the potential of the next generation of innovators and scientists.”
Sir Robert Buckland said: “I am extremely grateful to Catalent, as well as the many local residents who have donated laptops to the scheme, not to mention the brilliant teams at Excalibur and SP Computers who have stepped up at such a difficult time and repaired hundreds of devices.
“I am calling for more local businesses and residents who have unwanted or unused devices to get in touch so that these can also be put to good use.
“I am also calling for local charities to get in touch if they could benefit from a refurbished device.”
More information about the scheme can be obtained by emailing [email protected] or calling 01793 533393.
More information about BEST’s work in Swindon can be found at https://www.bestrust.co.uk/
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