1,200 laptops and tablets provided by Greenham Trust as lockdown learning appeal is big success

"The money we received enabled us to provide much-needed IT equipment to families"

MORE than 1,200 laptops and tablets were provided for schools by the Greenham Trust’s Laptops for Lockdown Learning fund.

The trust launched the appeal in January after children were required to stay home from school to reduce the rate of coronavirus infections.

It promised to match up to £250,000 of donations made to the appeal to help schools buy laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children to learn from so they didn’t fall behind during lockdown.

In the two months since the appeal was launched, £392,680 has been raised and £246,220 distributed to provide 1,202 laptops for 36 schools.

Helen Bowsher, of The Willows Primary School parents, teachers and friends association, said: “We are so thankful for the help provided by the Laptops for Lockdown Learning fund.

“The money we received enabled us to provide much-needed IT equipment to families that could not previously access our online learning platform.

“The laptops will have a long-term positive impact as they will be used, once the children are back in school, for both our computing lessons and within our wider curriculum.

“Therefore, the whole school will benefit.

“Once again many thanks to everyone involved in the scheme from The Willows Primary.”

Greenham Trust chief executive Chris Boulton said: “We were delighted to be able to help so many schools and schoolchildren in West Berkshire through our laptop campaign, which was also strongly supported by other local charitable trusts and the general public.

“We are now working with schools and the local authority to explore how the trust and the local charitable sector might be able to help with further technology needs in schools and assistance with missed learning due to the impact of Covid-19 alongside funding that is being made available by central government.”

Greenham Trust is still fundraising to help children and young people in West Berkshire and North Hampshire impacted by school and bubble closures, interrupted education and lack of access to resources.

Visit https://thegoodexchange.com/laptops if you would like to donate or fundraise.