Residents receive free laptops

13 June 2024

Image: Left Connor Lambert, Digital Inclusion Officer, JRHT and Tyler Potter, Manager, IT Reuse York

In this article, Connor Lambert, the Digital Inclusion Officer, Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT), shares his experiences delivering refurbished digital devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets to residents.

"My role extends beyond just providing devices; I'm actively involved in supporting residents to access online services through digital skills workshops and facilitating access to free or affordable internet services," Connor explains.

Over the past few weeks, Connor has been personally delivering digital devices, including desktop PCs and laptops, to residents in York.

These devices serve as lifelines, offering residents the means to pursue new job opportunities, acquire new skills, and seamlessly access online services, fostering a sense of independence and connectivity within the community.

Generously donated by the IT ReUse scheme in York, these devices are available to residents free of charge. Interested individuals can apply for these devices by reaching out to Connor. Once the application is approved, the device becomes theirs to keep.

The free devices are currently available in York and North Yorkshire.

Natasha's Story

Image: Natasha's three children

Natasha, a resident living in a JRHT-managed home, found herself in need of a laptop to support her children's educational journey. While she had a smartphone for basic needs, a laptop would significantly enhance her children's learning experience. Upon learning about the scheme through social media, Natasha promptly reached out to apply for a device.

Natasha said: “I applied for a free device to help my children with their schoolwork. Having the laptop will allow the children to do their homework, practice their maths skills, and look up any topics they are currently studying without me having to visit the library to access computers.”

“It was very easy to apply for a device and Connor was excellent, explained everything, brilliant communication and was very helpful. Thank you for providing this laptop to me and my family.”

When the children got to see and begin exploring the laptop, they were very excited, with several questions about how to use it and what they could do with it.

Noah, who is the eldest, is a maths whiz and first in his class for maths. He was particularly interested and excited about how the laptop would be able to help him do more outside of school. He achieves 180+ sums in 60 seconds on the online maths platform Times Tables Rock Stars which is remarkable!

For children, these laptops are so important to make sure they don’t fall behind their peers. Being able to use a laptop outside of school allows them to develop their digital skills and improve at school.

If you live in a home managed by JRHT in either York or North Yorkshire and are interested in getting access to a smart device, please get in touch with Connor by emailing [email protected] or by calling JRHT’s Customer Access Team on 0800 587 0211. Alternatively, you can contact your Housing Officer.

*Credited to Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust - https://www.jrht.org.uk/news/residents-receive-free-laptops