A north-east homelessness charity has been given a cache of surplus computers from The James Hutton Institute (JHI).
Aberdeen Cyrenians, which supports those affected by homelessness and other forms of social exclusion and crisis, were given spare laptops and desktop computers this week.
Staff from JHI loaded a van filled with the surplus tech and dropped it off at its new home with the hopes of aiding the charity’s mission to support the local community.
The devices will be distributed to families across Aberdeen.
Neil Taylor, a senior ITS support analyst at JHI said: “We are delighted to be able to donate this equipment to Aberdeen Cyrenians.
“As an institute committed to sustainability, we are always looking for ways to make better use of our surplus technology.
“We appreciate it’s been a difficult year for many people and rather than just sending the laptops to be destroyed or recycled, we felt there was an opportunity to give the equipment a second lease of life.
“It’s great to know our laptops will be used by families across Aberdeen; we aim to make many similar donations in the future.”
Get people back on their feet
Starting out as a soup kitchen organised by Aberdeen University students, the charity now helps support and assist rough sleepers.
The organisation aims to reach out a helping hand to those that stumble in life, helping them to get back on their feet.
Emma Bellu, fundraising and communications manager at Aberdeen Cyrenians, added: “These donated laptops will support vulnerable people in Aberdeen by providing digital access and the opportunity to build vital digital skills.
“The pandemic has highlighted how essential digital has become for all aspects of life; from getting support and keeping in touch with loved ones, to saving money online. It’s great to be able to give this equipment a new home while supporting digital inclusion, and we can’t thank the James Hutton Institute enough for opening this door for so many of our service users.”