• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Wednesday December 8 2021
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Wiltshire Digital Drive aims to divert tech from landfill into the hands of those in need

Not-for-profit company Wiltshire Digital Drive has launched a new awareness day aimed at getting more people online and reducing the amount of technology that goes to landfill.
Taking place just after Christmas on Friday, January 7, Donate Your Digital Day has been created by Wiltshire Digital Drive to encourage people to donate any tech they had replaced over the festive period such as laptops, tablets and desktops.

Those devices will then be refurbished and handed back out to schools, organisations and charities free of charge, to help the people they support.

Natalie Sherman, co-director at Wiltshire Digital Drive, said: “We’re so excited to launch our own awareness day.

“With many people receiving new laptops and tablets for Christmas, or having treated themselves in the Black Friday or Boxing Day sales, now is the perfect time to let us have your old tech.

“By giving it to us, not only will the device help another member of our community, but it will also stop it going to landfill.”

“The figures speak for themselves. In just one year we’ve given more than 1,000 school children, families and organisations a laptop or computer.

“Imagine how many more we could help after this new plea. And it’s not just members of the public that can get involved; we’re also asking businesses who are looking at upgrading their IT to consider donating their old tech to us.”

Local businesses and schools have opened up their doors to become drop off points for the donated items. They can be taken to:

• Islington Motors, Trowbridge
• Priority IT, Westbury
• Islington Vauxhall, Chippenham
• Naturally Social, Corsham
• Aster Housing, Devizes
• Hearing & Mobility Store, Marlborough/ Swindon/ Wroughton
• Household Waste & Recycling Centre, Swindon
• Castle Sundborn, Malmesbury
• Godolphin School, Salisbury
• Turner & Partners, Bath

Anyone wishing to help who doesn’t have a device to give, can make a donation to the non-profit’s Go Fund Me page. A £30 donation will cover all the parts needed to refurbish one laptop. www.gofundme.com/f/the-wiltshire-digital-drive

The Community Interest Company ensures every piece of technology donated is tested and securely wiped. If a machine isn’t feasible to upgrade, it will remove all reusable parts and recycle the rest, so nothing goes to waste.

Details about donating or applying for tech can be found at www.wiltshiredigitaldrive.org

Pic: Kieran Thomas and Natalie Sherman, co-directors of Wiltshire Digital Drive