COVENTRY City Council has secured £80,000 to expand its digital recycling scheme, the #CovConnects Device Bank.
The funding was awarded following a successful application to the Time after Time fund last year.
It was created and is distributed by Hubbub and Virgin Media O2, looking to fund projects which help close the digital divide and reduce electronic waste.
There is a total of £500,000 being shared across organisations and community projects across the county as part of the fund.
The #CovConnects Device Bank is part of the council’s digital inclusion programme, and launched last year.
Over the past 12 months, around 2,500 devices have been provided to organisations and companies across Coventry – the funding allows an expansion on the number of donations.
Coun Richard Brown, said: “Our #CovConnects programme is all about making sure none of our residents are digitally excluded. That’s why I’m delighted we’ve won this funding.
“This money will allow us to expand our efforts and get more of these devices into the hands of the most vulnerable.
“Having your own device, which you can use every day, is something that has the potential to completely transform your life.
“This project is a true partnership with the NHS, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and other partners across the city.
“Together we can make Coventry truly digitally inclusive.”
In order to work out the environmental benefit, the council is working with WMG – their research will in turn be shared, nationally enabling organisations across the county to learn from the scheme.
Dr Russ Hall, at WMG – part of the University of Warwick – and member of the Coventry Climate Change Board, said: “It’s really important to be a part of this fantastic scheme.
“We want to research into reuse, remanufacture and recycling of digital equipment.
“This is a great example and we want to do all we can to help it flourish and grow.
“It has real environmental benefits as part of the circular economy and can play a vital role in overcoming digital exclusion.”
