Level Up Laptops
1.7 million children in the UK do not have access to a computer at home, making remote learning practically impossible
How can I help?What is Level Up Laptops?
Since the global pandemic started in 2020, millions of children in the UK have been expected to learn online despite not having access to a computer or tablet. This digital exclusion risks turning lockdown learning into a catastrophe of lost education and opportunity for the UK’s poorest and most vulnerable.
Level Up Laptops is a campaign to help children in this situation living in Brighton and Sussex by providing them with laptops and tablets that will support remote learning and longer term educational needs.
SoPro has teamed up with registered charity Tarner Community Project, KLYK and Tech-Takeback, to form partnerships between Sussex businesses, aiming to recycle old devices no longer in use or raise money for new devices, and distribute them to children in need.
We want to ensure children from all backgrounds have the same access to learning and educational resources during and after these challenging times.
Pledges So Far
18
Companies
65
Devices
£8300
Donations
How You Can Help
We have partnered with registered charity Tarner Community Project and directly with local schools to get these laptops to the school children who need them most.
There are three ways your company can support the Level Up Laptops campaign:
Fund a new device
You can donate any amount to help us cover the cost of new IT equipment for local schools or purchase a device yourself and send it to us, or the school we match you with.
£200 will purchase a tablet suitable for Primary schools - £250 buys a newly refurbished laptop
- £350 will cover the purchase price of a new Windows laptop to donate
Just head to our JustGiving page, in association with local charity the Tarner Community Project, to make your donations or if you would like to purchase a new device yourself and ship to Level Up Laptops please click here
Fund a new device
Donate your spare devices
Safely donate old and used laptops and other devices such as tablets. Level Up Laptops and SoPro have teamed up with KLYK and Tech-Takeback who will refurbish, wipe and PAT test donated devices before distributing them directly to our partner schools.
We will accept all devices meeting the specification requirements below. If you can, please consider donating £50 per device to cover the cost of refurbishment and £20 per device if the charger is missing. This will allow us to get devices to the schools and children in need quicker.
For us to refurbish devices to the standards required by schools, devices need to meet the following requirements:
| Laptops |
|---|
| 12”
screen |
| Has
windows 7, 8 or 10 installed |
| Wi-Fi
capabilities and a webcam |
| Chromebooks |
|---|
| 2016
or newer |
| Tablets |
|---|
| iPads
– 2016 or newer |
| Android
- 2016 or newer |
Donate Your New Device
You can donate any amount to help us cover the cost of refurbishment or purchase of new IT equipment for local schools.
To get children connected, we will need to purchase the following items and would love your help.
- £10 covers a hard drive wipe
- £20 covers a replacement charger
- £50 will help us cover the cost of a laptop refurbishment
- £200 buys a tablet suitable for children at Primary school
No donation is too small. Please head to our JustGiving page in association with the Tarner Community Project the local charity collecting donations and helping us to identify local schools and children in need.
Our Sussex Community Project Partners
Closing the Digital Divide
The digital exclusion gap has been accelerated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It has left many underprivileged children with little or no access to the online learning resources their classmates are using on a daily basis. When everyday life returns, many schools will continue to use aspects of e-learning and so the gap is only going to expand further in the future.
Research has shown
- 50% of headteachers polled claimed to have less than 10% of the laptops requested from the Government*
- Ofcom estimates there are 1.7 million children across the UK who do not have access to a laptop, computer or tablet at home, making remote school practically impossible**
- Coronavirus lockdown is accelerating digital exclusion into a catastrophe of lost education and opportunity for the UK’s poorest children and families
Testimonials
1 We had an incredible experience working with Landify and were impressed they made such a big difference in only three weeks. Our team is so grateful for the wonderful improvements they made and their ability to get familiar with the product concept so quickly. It acted as a catalyst to take our design to the next level and get more eyes on our product.
2 We had an incredible experience working with Landify and were impressed they made such a big difference in only three weeks. Our team is so grateful for the wonderful improvements they made and their ability to get familiar with the product concept so quickly. It acted as a catalyst to take our design to the next level and get more eyes on our product.
3 We had an incredible experience working with Landify and were impressed they made such a big difference in only three weeks. Our team is so grateful for the wonderful improvements they made and their ability to get familiar with the product concept so quickly. It acted as a catalyst to take our design to the next level and get more eyes on our product.
4 We had an incredible experience working with Landify and were impressed they made such a big difference in only three weeks. Our team is so grateful for the wonderful improvements they made and their ability to get familiar with the product concept so quickly. It acted as a catalyst to take our design to the next level and get more eyes on our product.
5 We had an incredible experience working with Landify and were impressed they made such a big difference in only three weeks. Our team is so grateful for the wonderful improvements they made and their ability to get familiar with the product concept so quickly. It acted as a catalyst to take our design to the next level and get more eyes on our product.
6 We had an incredible experience working with Landify and were impressed they made such a big difference in only three weeks. Our team is so grateful for the wonderful improvements they made and their ability to get familiar with the product concept so quickly. It acted as a catalyst to take our design to the next level and get more eyes on our product.
Jane Cooper
CEO, ABC Corporation
Jane Cooper 2
CEO, ABC Corporation
Jane Cooper 3
CEO, ABC Corporation
Jane Cooper 4
CEO, ABC Corporation
Jane Cooper 5
CEO, ABC Corporation
Jane Cooper 6
CEO, ABC CorporationWhat's in it for me?
We know how keen Sussex businesses are to support our local children and we have been overwhelmed by the community spirit we have encountered so far.
In addition to the satisfaction of knowing you have made a difference, SoPro will ensure to publicise all supporting businesses, local leaders and private individuals provided you are happy for us to do so. This will take place daily through our various social media profiles, group websites and customer newsletters, as well as periodic press engagements and interviews.
In other words we'll pay you back with a dusting of great PR and a suitcase full of good karma.
Supporter Questions
It's really simple. We just ask that someone at the school completes our form here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSek3tsFkJWgnBavAt6OXApI783fucj7toJ9Hkw0KkJl4LJWyA/viewform?usp=sf_link) telling us whether they need laptops or tablets and any other information to make the match as successful as possible. Then, as machines and donations arrive, we'll match them up and help the school's most vulnerable children as quickly as possible.
Our advice is to remove the hard disk before you hand over any machines for refurbing. However, all of our machines go through a thorough process to refurbish, wipe and PAT test donated devices before distributing them directly to our partner schools conducted by our technology partners KLYK or Tech-Takeback.
We have a publicity plan in place that includes listing all donations on this site (in addition to the Just Giving page here). Alongside this we’re in constant content with local and national press to gain publicity for this initiative.
Keeping this story fresh and front of mind is critical, so if you can take photographs of your equipment, we’ll match that with drop off content and details of the school who receive the donation and promote it through social media ensuring you’re tagged.
Also, always use the project hashtag #leveluplaptops
| Laptops |
|---|
| 12”
screen |
| Has
windows 7, 8 or 10 installed |
| Wi-Fi
capabilities and a webcam |
| Chromebooks |
|---|
| 2016 or newer |
| Tablets |
|---|
| iPads – 2016 or newer |
| Android - 2016 or newer |
Absolutely. It’s the same options (new or for refurb or donation) and helping local schools – just complete the form.
All equipment is given to the child and their family. This avoids additional concerns and costs such as insurance.
We are always guided by the school. As a general rule, tablets are more suitable for younger, primary school children while older children tend to need the functionality that laptops provide
If we’re not already in contact with your preferred school, we’ll reach out to see if they have a child or family that qualifies. But assuming they do, absolutely.
Digital Exclusion Gap
Fears schools will be overwhelmed by laptopless pupils
There are concerns some schools in lockdown could be inundated with pupils without laptops after a change to the vulnerable pupil list.
The move to online teaching and learning during the first lockdown
Disadvantaged pupils face falling behind their peers this month as many are still without laptops and internet access for remote learning
"Pay the wi-fi or feed the children": Coronavirus has intensified the UK’s
The coronavirus lockdown risks turning the problem of digital exclusion into a catastrophe of lost education and opportunity for the
