A social enterprise has launched a drive to support youngsters in the north of Scotland who risk being left behind with their education.
Budding Engineers are working to recycle 870 laptops, iPads and tablets in eight months and distribute them to kids from disadvantaged families.
Tech4Tots & Teens targets Primary 1-5 pupils and school-leavers who are heading off to college or university without access to a device.
The fledgling enterprise was started up just over a year ago by Dave and Liz Kerr, from their home in Glengolly, near Thurso.
The organisation aims to tackle digital poverty and to encourage youngsters to follow careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem).
In their first year, they have donated more than 200 devices to five to 25-year-olds throughout the Highlands.
‘Heartwarming’ response from across region
Mr Kerr said: “We were inspired after we heard about a project in the Borders and decided to start up a similar one in Caithness and Sutherland.
“The response has been absolutely fantastic and we soon started getting donations and requests from further afield and decided to expand to cover the whole of the Highland region.
“We have had people from the Inverness area, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, Angus, the Western Isles and Orkney getting in touch to offer donations.”
The donated devices are stripped down, cleaned externally and internally, and have their hard drive sanitised and upgraded.
They are refurbished with a new operating system and have several educational apps installed.
Among recipients have been clients referred from the Department of Work and Pensions.
“The amount of donations and requests has far exceeded our expectations,” said Mr Kerr.
“The support we have received has been heartwarming and I’ve nothing but respect and gratitude for the people who have donated.
“It’s also been wonderful to see the delight on the faces of the children that have received the devices.”
Scheme expands to help more kids get access to a computer
While that scheme is continuing, it is embarking on the new drive on the back of a £15,000 grant from the digital participation fund, which is managed by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Mr Kerr said that while P6s, P7s and secondary pupils in the Highlands should have a Chromebook provided by their school, younger pupils do not.
He said: “We know there are a lot of youngsters out there whose parents just can’t afford to buy a device.
“The pupils may have had access to one at school or borrowed one during the enforced period of home learning but they are now on holiday and are without one.
“There are also youngsters who are leaving school for further or higher education who will have to give back their Chromebook and who may struggle to afford getting their own device.”
The new scheme covers kids from not just the Highlands and islands, but Moray and beyond.
Mr Kerr and his wife are hoping to be joined by several new volunteers to cope with the extra workload.
They are also looking for premises outwith their home to base the operation.
The pandemic has meant they have had to suspend their programme of school-based workshops to promote STEM subjects.
They are instead focusing their efforts on helping ensure economically disadvantaged youngsters do not lose out because of lack of access at home to online learning resources.