Throughout the numerous lockdowns, the people of Plymouth and Ivybridge have demonstrated that in a crisis they can support the community’s most vulnerable from the impact of the pandemic.
The effects that COVID-19 through lockdowns and self-isolation created, have been no more evident than the implications it has had on those children who struggled with access to online learning at home.
However, there was good news when a collaboration between Ivybridge and Saltram Rotary Clubs, along with donations from local businesses, individuals, local authorities and city and parish councillors, sought to reduce the digital-divide by donating 380 devices to local primary and secondary school children.
It was during the first lockdown that Ivybridge Rotary president Paul Fletcher and his team formed the ‘Online Learning Project’, with the aim of providing refurbished devices to enable children to access their learning from home.
The scale of the problem soon became apparent and so Saltram Rotary were invited onboard. Together, they received and processed donated devices which were refurbished by Dan’s Computer Services of Ivybridge.
Paul explained:
“During the first phase of our project we received several hundred devices for recycling and by establishing links with local headteachers, we were able to ensure that the refurbished devices went to the homes where the need was greatest. In all we have provided devices to thirty five schools in the area. This is a significant achievement and has only been possible thanks to the generosity of the people of Ivybridge and Plymouth, as well as the financial support we have received from various sources.”
One of the biggest boosts was an injection of funds from the Beresford-Jones Trust. This enabled the project to have a much broader reach and extend the provision of new and refurbished devices to numerous secondary schools.
The members of the Online Learning Project sincerely hope that their work will have gone some way to reducing the disadvantages among children in local communities.
