Delivering computers to the community

Our project to deliver computers to those who need help staying connected, accessing support or home-schooling during coronavirus is in high demand with community members in and around Edinburgh and East Lothian!

Staying connected

At the start of April, we launched our computer delivery project to get computers and internet connection to those who need them during the current coronavirus outbreak. By refurbishing donated computers, delivering them to people’s doorsteps, and providing follow up phone support, we aimed to support members of the community to stay connected, find support or home-school their children.

Since then we have been pleasantly overwhelmed by the positive response to the project! We have had 60 referrals for computers and have so far delivered 32 of them to some very happy recipients, with the wonderful help of Venture Scotland!

“Thank you so much to People Know How for the computer. My daughter and I are delighted to receive the computer, as she will now be able to do schoolwork and catch up with friends and family. I’m now also able to work on my new business website and access support and help if I need it. We are so grateful for the help and support you all provide to everyone.”

With the project taking off, we’re delighted to report that we’ve been awarded a National Lottery grant of £10,000 to help cover the cost of refurbishment materials and delivery of 200 computers! In addition to this Parabola Foundation have given us £1,000 towards the project and our partners the Good Things Foundation have donated some tablets as well!

“In these uncertain times our priority is to ensure that National Lottery money continues to flow to charities, voluntary sector organisations and grassroots groups. I would like to congratulate People Know How on their award, theirs is an important project which will help people get through the current crisis and a great example of how our grant holders are stepping up to support their communities.”
- Neil Ritch, The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Director

These generous grants will allow us to purchase items like webcams, headsets and various hardware and software so that we can deliver a complete package to recipients, allowing them the capacity to video chat with online support or stay in touch with loved ones.

“My kids will find the computer so useful they only have mobile phones and find it hard to do school work.”

Connecting our services

Alongside this project we’ve been hard at work adapting our services to continue supporting the community during this time. We’ve moved our Positive Transitions Service online, creating Online Befriending and Group Support for children and young people. We’ve also adapted our Reconnect service into Distance Befriending for adults, offering a friendly ear to those in need of support during this time.

Like our computer delivery recipients, some of our service users have also been in need of a computer on which they can receive our support. With funding from the Cordis Trust we have been able to deliver devices to our Positive Transitions service users.

Supplying the demand

We’re excited to continue delivering this project and are busy refurbishing and delivering our current donations.

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