Dozens of residents from across Trafford received laptops and free O2 SIM cards at a special event to tackle digital exclusion in the borough.
Trafford Council, together with housing association L&Q, handed over 110 devices to families at the launch of the Trafford Tech4All pop-up-shops scheme at St John’s Centre, Old Trafford.
The event was packed with local residents all looking to benefit from the low-cost devices, free O2 SIM card plans, low-cost broadband plans and online safety support from Greater Manchester Police.
The Council is committed to helping support the campaign for digital inclusion and fight poverty. Tech giant Virgin Media O2 is also supporting the Trafford Tech4All initiative by providing discounted broadband via its social tariffs and free O2 SIM cards with 25GB of data for low-income families. The operator has also donated laptops to the centre’s refurbished IT suite, allowing St John’s Centre to deliver more digital skills classes.
The Trafford Tech4All devices, donated by L&Q and costing just £60, are being sold by Community Computers at special community pop-up shops. Further pop-up shops are being held at:
Lostock Library, Wednesday 12 June (3.30pm – 6pm)
Altrincham Library, Thursday 27 June (2pm – 5pm)
Sale Waterside, Wednesday 3 July (2pm – 5pm)
A father-of-two, at the event to pick up a laptop for his daughter, said:
“I am a full time carer for my wife and am bringing up two young daughters – every day is a struggle. This is a game changer for my family – my daughters can now get online to do their homework and keep in touch with their friends. Thank you very much to everyone involved in helping us.”
Cllr Tom Ross said:
“I was delighted to have been able to attend the first Trafford Tech4All pop-up shop and pleased the event was such a success. It is vitally important that all residents throughout our borough are able to get online for a variety of reasons - to help them stay connected with friends, access the internet and look for work. Can I please take this opportunity to ask other partners across the borough to donate laptops to this scheme – the need really is there.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to our partners L&Q, Community Computers and Virgin Media O2 for helping us launch Trafford Tech4All which will help bridge the gap between those who have and those who do not have suitable access to devices to get online. Thank you to everyone for attending the event.”
Alyson Heald, partnerships director at L&Q, said:
“This is a fantastic initiative which L&Q is proud to be partners of, working towards closing the digital divide within Trafford. Following the impact of the covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis, it’s more important than ever that people have equal access to online services and products.”
Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said:
“We are immensely proud to be spearheading this life-changing initiative alongside Trafford Council, helping ensure everyone can get online, no matter their circumstances. By bridging the digital divide and putting internet access into the hands of those who need it most, we’re creating new opportunities for people to thrive as part of our goal to connect one million digitally excluded individuals by 2025.
“Digital inclusion is not a one-size-fits-all effort and often requires a place-based approach and close partnership with the local community to develop solutions that are fit-for purpose. This collaborative project demonstrates how we are working with local authorities and community groups to drive positive change, and we encourage the community to get involved and access the support on offer.”
The scheme is aimed at low-income residents who are currently digitally excluded and are struggling to access a suitable device for a variety of reasons. People are eligible to purchase a device from one of the pop-ups if they are claiming Universal Credit, housing benefit, child tax credit or are receiving some other type of financial support. A full list of criteria is available at: Eligibility | Community Computers Shop.
Anyone visiting the pop-ups will also get the chance to find out more about digital skills courses across the borough, how to keep kids safe online, and Trafford Libraries’ Device Loan Scheme.