Give A Laptop campaign

Give a laptop a lockdown home

A local charity has appealed for the public to donate their old laptops to children learning from home through the pandemic. STEPH COLDERICK reports for Liverpool Life and finds out why the public are hesitant to donate their devices.

©Steph Colderick

ALiverpool educational organisation is joining forces with the BBC’s #GiveALaptop scheme to help children who are being homeschooled during lockdown.

Rotunda, an educational community organisation in North Liverpool, is asking members of their local community to donate laptops and tablets for children to use.

Originally, they struggled to receive any donations and Norma Young, who is running the scheme at Rotunda, believes this could have been because of fears over cyber security.

She said: “Old laptops and tablets are still full of photographs and personal information and we need to reassure (people) that they will be wiped and they will be put back to factory settings.”

With laptops and tablets used for everything from online banking to holding personal information many people are reluctant to give away these items, however Rotunda has a plan in place to ease these worries.

They have teamed up with their IT service partners, Fox IT, who will fully wipe and refurbish the laptops and tablets brought in.

Ms Young said: “Our IT partners know exactly what they are doing.”

In recent years there have been various hacking scandals and even the police are urging people to be more cautious online and while using their devices, however once the computer is wiped the information will no longer be accessible.

Children who do not have access to this technology will find completing school from home near on impossible, Ms Young said: “Young people and children need these in order to do their home schooling and keep up with their school work and give themselves a good chance.”

The demand for IT equipment is high. Rotunda have received phone calls from parents and grandparents asking for laptops and tablets.

Since continuing their social media appeals, calls to action to their local community and appearing on BBC Radio Merseyside, the organisation has received more donations of laptops.

TOP TECH TIPS

Are you thinking of donating a laptop or tablet but are still worried about your personal information?

Then it is also possible to wipe and clear your laptop/ tablet yourself, meaning you can check the laptop yourself before donating.

Frazer Blakesley, Digital and Technology student,offered his top tips.

Once you have saved anything you wish to keep from your laptop onto a memory stick, follow Frazer’s easy steps to make sure your PC or device is properly wiped before donating: 1First search in your start menu ‘reset this PC’

2Click and follow the ‘reset this PC’ option.

3The select the ‘remove everything option’

4Continue to follow any additional steps.

5Once the reset has been complete to check it was successful, boot up your laptop again and the Windows (or other service depending on your laptop) set up screen will appear.

Then, ta-da! Your laptop is set and ready to donate.

©Steph Colderick