How the Wiltshire Digital Drive helped thousands during lockdown with free laptops thisiswiltshire.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thisiswiltshire.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
More than 2,000 laptops and tablets have been donated to help school children in Wiltshire during lockdown. As students return to school, the directors of Wiltshire Digital Drive (WDD) have reflected back at what has been achieved over the past year and how they can continue their mission to bridge the digital divide across the county. Kieran Thomas, co-director of Wiltshire Digital Drive, said: “When we first had the idea back in March 2020, we never thought it would become this big. Owning an IT company, and having the technical knowledge, meant my team and I could safely wipe, refurbish and set the laptops back up ready to be used by someone else. We didn’t realise the digital divide in Wiltshire was so large and that’s where Natalie and her team used their skills to help scale the project up to where it is now. Setting up as a not-for-profit in October 2020, meant we could seek funding to help help with the cost of refurbishments. Thanks to funding and donations from
Wiltshire Digital Drive goes from strength to strength gazetteandherald.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazetteandherald.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Journal reporter
: Gilly Jackson, Assistant Headteacher at Trafalgar School in Downton, receiving laptops from Wiltshire High Sheriff Ashley Truluck AN appeal in the Journal from a school for laptops to help pupils learn at home led to a delivery by Wiltshire’s High Sheriff. High Sheriff Ashley Truluck saw the article and contacted Wiltshire Digital Drive, a Community Interest Company formed last year to collect unwanted equipment and refurbish it before distributing it to families and groups in need. Mr Truluck is also chairman of trustees at Wiltshire Community Foundation, which had funded the group with a £5,000 grant from its Wiltshire and Swindon Coronavirus Response Fund. Wiltshire Digital Drive donated five laptops to Trafalgar School, which were delivered by Mr Truluck.