Turnham Green Drop Off Point Set Up for Unwanted Laptops
Cllr Ron Mushiso organises collection for digitally excluded children
Cllr Mushiso (right) at Richmond Rugby Club's collection point
After seeing second hand computer devices being collected by Richmond Rugby Club, Turnham Green ward councillor, Ron Mushiso has organised a similar initiative in Chiswick.
Children across the borough including those in Chiswick still need laptops to continue their home schooling. During the pandemic Hounslow Council has been distributing devices supplied by the Department for Education, but there remains a shortfall of equipment.
Although Hounslow Council have recently announced a further 750 laptops and 150 internet connections to children learning from home during lockdown that still leaves the Borough short by around 700 devices.
Cllr Mushiso is setting this as the target of the number of devices to be collected. He said, “700 children whom, as of now, are unable to independently access online learning and maintain their education. A device of their own would make such a difference during this pandemic and beyond. We’ve heard it takes a village to raise a child, and here is that moment for us to act as a community, nurturing our future generation.”
The councillor, who is a teacher and also a former coach at Richmond Rugby Club, has reached out to his old club after learning about their initiative to offer a second-hand tech drop-off point at their ground.
He completed this task through negotiations with Council Officers, the club and Christ Church Turnham Green so Chiswick will have it very own drive-through drop-off point on Turnham Green. The exact location will be at the front gates on Town Hall Avenue W4 5DT. It will begin this Saturday (23 January) and continue every Saturday from 10am to 12pm. By car you need to go southbound as Town Hall avenue is a one way street.
The laptops/tablets will then be professionally wiped clean and reloaded with updated software thanks to Veritas Digital Services before being donated to local schools for distribution to children throughout our community.
What is required is working laptops or tablets, if possible, accompanied by the relevant power cables and chargers. Old mobile phones, kindles, desktop PCs etc. are not needed.
A senior member of Richmond Rugby club will be on hand alongside Cllr Mushiso and Cllr McGregor to help operate a tried and tested drive-through service that adhere to the current Covid-19 measurements. You will be asked to remain in your car when dropping-off the tech. If you arrive by bike or foot, there will be a drop off box near the entrance.
If you don’t possess an old device but you would like to support the cause, then follow this link to donate towards the costs of the processing.
Cllr Tom Bruce, cabinet member for Education, Children and Youth Services, said, “We cannot have a situation where children in our schools don’t have access to the equipment they need to make a success of home learning during lockdown.
“That’s why we’ve taken the decision to purchase 750 laptops, in addition to the laptops already distributed, to help address the shortfall. We also know that connectivity is a problem for some families in the borough, so we are purchasing 150 internet dongles that will provide unlimited access for a year.
“I want to pay a special tribute to the tremendous efforts of local organisations for their work supplying laptops to schoolchildren, and members of the public who have been donating equipment.”
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January 21, 2021