The LETTA Trust in Tower Hamlets is celebrating after seeing the milestone of 2,000 laptops distributed to families at risk of digital exclusions in its primary schools.
In the latest phase of the Connecting Communities digital inclusion programme, families at Bygrove, Hermitage, Stebon and Virginia primary schools have been gifted with laptops, 12 months’ of free broadband and IT training. Families at Columbia Primary will receive devices later this term.
Connecting Communities, run by the East End Community Foundation, is a partnership between The Letta Trust, Poplar HARCA, Tower Hamlets Council and Community Fibre and aims to build sustainable pathways to digital inclusion.
The partnership began in June 2020 when schools were closed and learning had shifted online because of the pandemic restrictions. Now, more than 2,000 PCs have now been distributed to families identified as being at risk of digital exclusion.
Within the partnership, The LETTA Trust has continued to expand the initiative beyond its original emergency response, recognising the long-term importance of digital access in education and everyday life.
The LETTA Trust says the project will continue to evolve in partnership with local organisations, with further initiatives planned to support digital access and skills development across the wider community.
Jo Franklin, Chief Executive of the LETTA Trust, said: “What began as an urgent response during the pandemic has grown into a long-term commitment to digital inclusion across our communities.
“As the world becomes more reliant on digital tools, we want to guarantee that no family is left behind and that every child has the exact same opportunity to succeed at school. We know that access to technology can have a transformative impact on children’s education, confidence and future opportunities.
“We are incredibly proud to reach the milestone of 2,000 devices distributed and we would like to thank all our partners for making this possible, helping to ensure that no family is left behind digitally.”
