Virgin Media O2 UK and Hubbub Hand Out More Computers to Charities
Broadband ISP and mobile operator Virgin Media and O2 (VNO2) have today boosted their existing £400,000 Tech Lending Community (TLC) scheme alongside environmental charity Hubbub, which aims to provide hundreds of “second-hand” tablet computers and smartphones to help people in need get online across the UK.
The Tech Lending Community scheme, which was first established in 2022, aims to tackle digital exclusion and electronic waste by providing second-hand devices to people in need, while also giving tech a second life, preventing it ending up in landfill.
As part of a new round of funding, homelessness charities, Centrepoint and Thames Reach will receive more than 500 tablets and smartphones, which will be powered by a free O2 mobile data (mobile broadband) allowance from the National Databank project. The charities will distribute the devices via their services across the country so they can be loaned to those they support.
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In addition, funding and support will continue to be extended to Refuge, a charity which supports women and children who have experienced domestic abuse (they last received 250 tablets from the initiative in 2022). The project is also being supported by Reconome, which has sourced, wiped, and refurbished the second-hand devices.
Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at VMO2, said:
“We know that having data and devices can be a lifeline for people in need, enabling them to access essential websites, from applying for jobs, to accessing medical appointments, and to stay in touch with loved ones.
That’s why initiatives like The Tech Lending Community scheme and National Databank are vital in addressing digital exclusion and data poverty, and help to transform people’s lives in communities across the UK.”
Alex Robinson, CEO of Hubbub, said:
“The Tech Lending Community (TLC), in partnership with Virgin Media O2, has shown us the tangible impact a second-hand device coupled with free connectivity can have on someone’s life. Beneficiaries of the project have been able to access job support and stay in touch with friends, things that those of us who own smart devices can take for granted.
Hubbub is thrilled to be launching a second phase of TLC, working alongside homelessness charities Thames Reach and Centrepoint, and Refuge, a charity supporting women and children experiencing domestic violence, to provide an additional 520 tablets and smartphones for them to lend to their service users. We are proud to continue doing work to bridge the digital divide in the UK, whilst keeping tech in circulation for longer.”
Just to be clear, the £400k being announced today is on top of the £400k that helped to launch these schemes a couple of years ago.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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In Kent – Virgin we’re caught using illegal workers to lay the broadband cables. Does anyone know if this has happened outside of Kent?
Virgin are using a contactor to lay the cables In my area at the moment(witham, essex). It might not be virgin media directly. It’s most likely to be the contactor that’s been hiring them. just virgin that gets the blame being the big company they are.
so instead of handing out free kit to individuals, why not support establishments such as libraries? This is customers money. Paying customers struggle enough to pay their own contractual price rises. How about not having a price rise if O2 have too much money?