Aberdeen’s three independent schools have teamed up with local ICT provider Mother Technologies to play their part in the fight against digital poverty.
The International School Aberdeen (ISA), Albyn School, and St Margaret’s School for Girls are taking part in an initiative to reuse old electronics.
The project offers businesses and individuals the chance to pass on unwanted electronics such as smart phones, laptops, PCs and tablets, in an environmentally friendly way which prevents them from going to waste.
The schools’ initiative is a joint enterprise with Aberdeen-headquartered IT specialists Mother Technologies.
The company is the ICT support service company for all three independent schools.
Headquartered in Aberdeen, with branches in Edinburgh and Glasgow, it has been providing IT support services since 2002.
Alex Ferguson, Mother Technologies head of business development said: “There is much more of an awareness of digital poverty in a post-pandemic Scotland.
“Digital skills are essential in most lines of work and changes in the way we live and work post lockdown means that access to technology is increasingly important.
“Mother Technologies is committed to helping address the digital divide and we are proud to be supporting this fantastic initiative by the Edinburgh Remakery, who have done a wonderful job of launching this scheme to ensure every person in Scotland has adequate digital access.”
Hundreds of donations
Between the three schools, more than 280 pieces of IT equipment have been donated to The Edinburgh Remakery which specialises in refurbishing used electronics and provide them back to the community.
The social enterprise uses government-approved software that securely wipes any data from donated equipment to ensure it is all non-retrievable and allows items to be easily reused.
Need for more people to get involved
Stefan Horsman, Albyn School headmaster, said: “I would urge everyone here at Albyn and in the wider community to get involved as so many of us have unwanted electronics lying around at home.”
According to a recent report by innovation agency Nesta, one in seven adults in Scotland are experiencing digital poverty.
The research revealed that more than 620,000 adults in Scotland, or 14% of the adult population, do not have access to sufficient mobile or broadband data to meet their essential needs.
Elaine Brown, the Edinburgh Remakery chief executive, said: “We are hugely grateful to International School Aberdeen, Albyn School, and St Margaret’s School for Girls, who have each donated a range of surplus IT equipment to us, for supporting our mission to end digital poverty in Scotland while keeping old and unused electronics out of landfill.”
Anna Tomlinson, St Margaret’s School for Girls head teacher, said: “We hope that other schools, places of work and individuals are able to donate where they can and help support the young minds of the future.”
Nick Little, ISA head of school, said: “We are proud to be involved with The Edinburgh Remakery’s initiative to tackle digital poverty in Scotland.
Mr Ferguson has shown his support for the North East Now campaign, which has made it easy for people to support local firms from a wide range of industries during the pandemic.
The initiative is driven by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce and backed by creative agency Hampton and Aberdeen Journals.
He said: “I think it’s vitally important for local businesses to embrace digital platforms such as North East Now to connect with the wider community.
“North East Now has the area’s best interest in mind; the website drives conversation and serves as a valuable link between businesses and the general public.
“To have access to a news platform that allows us to engage with our local audience and to share our success stories is fantastic.”
For further information on The Edinburgh Remakery visit www.edinburghremakery.org.uk.
To find out more about North-East Now, visit www.northeastnow.scot