Smart IT partnering to Drive Digital Inclusion
Date published:
Local Organisations partnering to Drive Digital Inclusion
As part of Smart IT’s free “wipe and donate” offer, Gateshead-based homelessness charity Oasis Community Housing has donated ten computer systems to the Smart IT Initiative which have been securely wiped and refurbished by Smart IT engineers, and then donated to Prosper Learning Trust.
The computers were no longer required due to staff at Oasis Community Housing switching across to laptops to enable remote working. Prosper Learning Trust have used the donation to provide an IT suite at the Thomas Bewick School in West Denton, Newcastle.
The charity wanted their equipment to go towards helping digitally disadvantaged people within the North East and asked Smart IT for help sourcing a suitable organisation. Smart IT work with a number of worthwhile not-for-profit and charities in the North East, so we knew immediately who to call.
Tony Wilson, MD, Smart IT explains further
“Having worked closely with Oasis Community Housing for ten years now, we have a strong understanding of their values and beliefs including their drive for digital inclusion. We’ve previously worked with Prosper Learning Trust, they’re a fantastic organisation who are perfectly aligned to Oasis Community Housing and their inspiring quest to support the digitally disadvantaged”
Prosper Learning Trust consists of two alternative provision academies, Newcastle Bridges School, and Mary Astell Academy, and two Special Academies, Thomas Bewick School and Harry Watts Academy, offering education to children and young people who are unable to attend mainstream schools.
It was decided that the donation would be best suited to Thomas Bewick School as they only had one PC available for all their students to use. The impact of Smart IT Initiative and Oasis Community Housing’s donation has been massive for both the pupils and the school, creating a much-needed ICT suite.
Thomas Bewick School are committed to enriching the IT learning experience and are currently developing their computing curriculum.
Mark Jones, CEO of Prosper Learning Trust tells us what it means to the Trust
"We are very grateful to have been donated ten PCs to Prosper Learning Trust from homelessness charity Oasis Community Housing and IT support company Smart IT. A number of these are being used by the pupils of Thomas Bewick School who are excited for the new additions to their IT suite which will enrich their learning experience."
"We are currently developing our computing curriculum, so the timing of this very kind and generous donation is fantastic. Our new PCs have enabled us to create a new ICT suite at one of our school sites, so pupils now have a designated room and resources to use for some of their computing lessons, which they love. We are very grateful to Oasis Community Housing and Smart IT for making this possible for our pupils and staff."
Daley Barber Allen, Headteacher of Thomas Bewick School
The computers had previously been used by Oasis Community Housings support team with sensitive data stored on their drives. Smart IT collected all computers, securely wiped the drives using military grade data erasing software, rebuilt and refurbished the computers, then delivered these to Thomas Bewick School just as the students finished for the summer holidays.
In addition to the PCs that Oasis Community Housing donated to Prosper Trust, some of the PCs are now in use at the homelessness charity's new emergency accommodation project, which was opened earlier this year to offer people who have been rough sleeping fit-for-purpose housing; a gap that was flagged during the pandemic.
The charity’s 58:7 project will have two staff on hand for residents 24/7 and the six-bed property has been developed as a psychologically informed environment (PIE), an approach to supporting people out of homelessness, particularly those who have experienced complex trauma. Each resident will have a robust support plan with support services coordinated around them.
Commenting on the PC donation, Oasis Community Housing’s Chief Executive, David Smith, said:
“Digital disadvantage is a reality for 1 in 5 people in the UK, so ensuring everyone is equipped with the means and know-how to get online in order to access education, employment and other opportunities is a core tenet of our charity’s work – which aims to tackle the root causes of homelessness, as well as support people’s immediate needs.
“We are really proud to have worked with Smart IT on redistributing these PCs to children and adults who most need them, within our own projects and at Prosper Learning Trust.”
Tony Wilson, Managing Director at Smart IT concludes.
“Many businesses will have computers or laptops that have been replaced or are no longer required, Smart IT offer a free wipe and donate service for any IT equipment no longer required. Our Engineers will securely wipe the drives, certify, and donate them to a deserving organisation to support digital inclusion. Anyone wishing to donate equipment, we would love to hear from you.”