LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, April 22, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SocialBox.Biz Calling on Local Organisations to Support Digital Inclusion Campaign in partnership with local Universities -
Business, councils, and other organisations can help reduce digital exclusion with laptop donations.

A number of Universities and schools partner with SocialBox.Biz and their long-standing initiative for homeless youth, refugee children and older people who can not afford a computer as part of their larger call for closing the gap between the homeless, refugees, and disadvantaged populations and digital means. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, statistics showed that 22% of people lacked basic digital skills and access to equipment.

For example in places like Leicester and Guildford universities have partnered with SocialBox.biz and are calling on local businesses and organisations to donate unused computers, laptops, and other digital items to combat the digital exclusion exacerbated by the pandemic.

Through their partnership with SocialBox.Biz, universities are working towards furnishing at-risk populations with laptops and other such devices to ensure that they can stay connected with the world around them. With a working laptop, homeless people, refugees, and the elderly can take advantage of educational and even career opportunities. For homeless people, this can make the difference between remaining impoverished and taking an opportunity for a fresh start.

The joint campaign is asking that old IT equipment that’s no longer needed, yet still working be donated, including computers, laptops, telephones, telecom equipment, conference room AV equipment, desktops, tablets, and more. These items are then provided to SocialBox.Biz’s Laptops for Homeless Initiative, which distributes suitable items to those in need together with partnering charities.

Facts & Figures: The SocialBox.Biz Laptops for Homeless, refugees, and older people in isolation Initiative also provides a win-win situation for higher education organisations and other public institutions with a civic duty. There are more than 5 million employed in the public sector alone, meaning that millions of computers could be released to help older people. In terms of the business sector - for example the UK banking finance industry employs more than one million people and construction industry over two million alone. SocialBox.Biz has worked to cultivate partnerships across industries.

In 2020 SocialBox.Biz connected with University of Edinburgh to learn about their circular economy for IT; this process ensures that old IT equipment isn’t wasted. Instead, it’s given new purpose through multiple local programs that are in place. Altogether, these programs help the university reduce Scope 3 emissions while helping those in need. SocialBox.Biz has been a major advocate for programs of this nature for years. Many excellent studies are also available on the University of

Edinburgh website highlighting just how much energy and natural resources goes into that processes of making new electronics and especially how and where they are sourced.

A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: "Digital inclusion has been one of the pledges made and delivered on by the University under past Social Impact Pledges, and continues to be a strategic priority for the University through its community engagement work. As a founding member of the independent monitoring organisation, Electronics Watch, the University has been working to make its electronics use more socially responsible."

SocialBox.Biz team commented: "We have been helping organisations meet their sustainability goals and we know that local social impact is very important for Universities to show non educational benefits that their institutions bring to the society to attract students and grants. For councils social obligation is even more real when it comes to improving local areas as it is well within the remit of local councils to help people in need with digital inclusion so we are calling for an urgent review of procurement policies to enable old no longer needed but still usable items to be used locally - please contact SocialBox.Biz today to arrange a collection."

Our Solution is at the Local Level

So much of the world is globalized and connected on a cross-continent arrangement today, often times, leaving local needs and requirements out of the conversation. Well, with SocialBox.Biz, we are a London-based, UK-focused social business venture that is determined to help the people right here in our country who need help and digital inclusion support.

We help local individuals who cannot afford computers, yet need them more than ever. We need our computers every day to do the following:

- Apply to jobs

- Engage in team meetings

- Contact friends

- Sell products and services

- Connect with family...

It’s virtually impossible to survive without this kind of connectivity.

The Problem: Old Tech Scrap Shipments Overseas

Many organisations will export their unneeded electronics overseas for destruction sometimes unknowingly via their scrap contractors. When this happens, their no longer needed still useful hardware and technology leaves the country unable to help the homeless individuals and children, right here, who could have used it. The homeless youth, refugee children, and elderly are unable to benefit from something that we previously had, right here in our communities.

Not to mention emissions will now be released into the atmosphere from all the ships carrying containers and other transportation adding to Scope 3 emissions. Climate change matters, and we have disadvantaged people in our country who can be helped with upgraded computers.

We are encouraging universities, councils, and schools to rethink their arrangement with overseas export. Some items might need to go for recycling and be sold to scrap companies, you can still help us make a difference by releasing still usable tech items to our UK focused initiative, who will wipe them clean and put them into the hands of those whole need it the most.

What do you say?

Thank you for supporting our initiative. Let’s put an end to digital exclusion.

Tweet: Stop sending unneeded electronics overseas. SocialBox.Biz is a LOCAL-focused UK solution that will help homeless youth in need. Get in contact with us today.

More information can be found via the following articles:

https://www.experienceguildford.co.uk/free-tech-boost-for-guildfords-homeless/

https://therooftop.news/2020/07/14/school-donates-laptops-to-help-vulnerable-in-south-london/

https://therooftop.news/2021/03/23/uni-issues-rallying-call-to-leicester-businesses-to-tackle-digital-exclusion/

https://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/news/2021/march/dmu-appeals-for-unused-tech-to-help-bridge-the-digital-divide.aspx

About SocialBox.Biz

SocialBox.Biz is a community interest company (CIC) improving the local community by providing innovative tech solutions.

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peter paduh
SocialBox.Biz Community Interest Company
+44 843 289 5722
email us here

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