Thousands of children trying to do home schooling during lockdown are missing their right to basic education because they cannot access online learning.
We have a vital, but ambitious target – to fundraise £1.2million to help provide free internet to 100,000 disadvantaged households.
Can you help us? We have already made a great start, with thousands of pounds already raised.
The Cash for Connectivity appeal is part of the Laptops for Kids campaign, launched by technology entrepreneur David Richards and supported by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and a growing number of newspapers, websites, businesses and local authorities.
Cash for Connectivity will fund the purchase of dongles – inexpensive hardware to connect laptops and up to five other devices per household to the internet.
Stand Up For Southport owners Andrew Brown and Phil Gee said: “Everyone is suffering during this Covid pandemic.
“But among those suffering the most are disadvantaged children, who risk becoming left behind and damaging their future life chances through not being able to access home learning being set by their schools and others.
“Our Cash for Connectivity appeal is an inexpensive solution that can reach families who need it.
“Please help us. We hope that by working together, we can support as many children and families as we can.”
According to analysis from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, based on data from Ofcom and ONS, there are at least 322,000 families in the North of England without access to a laptop, tablet or desktop computer.
Analysis by Laptops for Kids suggests this number includes at least 100,000 households without internet connectivity.
Luke Beardsworth, Editor of LancsLive, said: “It’s great to see news organisations pulled together in this way to make an impact but clearly isn’t something that should be necessary.
“No Internet connection means kids are missing out on learning but it also means some kids are being sent into school as a result. This will help us make a difference, and quickly, where it is needed.”
David Richards, founder and CEO of data software company WANdisco plc, said: “This is a quick and inexpensive fix to an urgent social problem and we encourage readers to donate.
“Connectivity is as important as water and should be freely available to those in need. Together we can help end the data drought in the North of England.”
The Laptops for Kids campaign launched in Sheffield in September and is scaling up across the North with its proven method of sourcing, securely erasing and distributing devices to schools, according to need.
Partners include Blancco plc, the global leader in certified data erasure, the non-political Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Twinkl, the online educational publisher, and WANdisco plc, the data software company jointly headquartered in Sheffield and Silicon Valley.
To donate, please click here.
Do you have any stories for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
