Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby Stratford Sea Cadets receive 10 state-of-the-art laptops

EncodeDotHost, a local web hosting agency, secured the necessary funding through Nominet's 'Givehub' fund, a dedicated resource by the domain registry to empower digital projects for UK charities, such as the Sea Cadets.

In a heartwarming gesture of community support, Stratford-uponAvon Sea Cadets, T.S. Gurkha, have received a generous donation of 10 state-of-the-art laptops.

The initiative was made possible through the collaborative efforts of local businesses EncodeDotHost and Pink Connect.

Neil Batchelor, Co-Director of EncodeDotHost, said: "My son, Daniel, joined T.S. Gurkha as a cadet over six years ago and is now an adult volunteer Petty Officer supporting the current cadets on their journey. We have witnessed firsthand the invaluable support the Cadets provide to young people in Stratford. It was natural for us to leverage our Nominet membership to access financial support for them."

Nominet, a global leader in domain name registry overseeing all .uk domains, was crucial in facilitating this initiative.

Neil said: "As Nominet members, it makes us proud to not just see Nominet as a service to help our customers, but as a way to contribute to our community and support this local cause. We're thrilled that we could access financial support through the Nominet Givehub fund, a fantastic opportunity for members to support an organisation of their choice and make a real difference in their work."

Following the funding approval from Nominet, EncodeDotHost collaborated with Pink Connect, a local IT support company, to ensure the smooth procurement of the laptops.

Chris Wheeler, Chairman of T.S. Gurkha, said: "The laptops are going to be really beneficial, contributing greatly to our ability to teach our Cadets as well as improving the Cadets' capabilities of study and education. The laptops will be great for helping the Cadets develop key skills in the Corps, such as navigation, marine engineering, meteorology and leadership."

Pink Connect supplied the 10 Windows 11 laptops already installed with essential software. Andy Beddow, Business Development Manager at Pink Connect, said: "It's great to be able to support local charities on this kind of project. Witnessing the positive impact that these laptops will have on the Cadets is truly gratifying, reinforcing our commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us."