Cambridge 2030, in partnership with Cambridge City Council, is calling on Cambridgeshire businesses, non-profit organisations and charities to recycle their laptops when they are upgraded or replaced, by donating them to the Digital Drive. All suitable donated devices will be refurbished and distributed to local schools for students to use at home and in the classroom, and donating organisations will be recognised for their support on the Cambridge 2030 and Cambridge City Council’s websites.
This new Digital Drive follows the hugely successful campaign during the pandemic, where hundreds of laptops and PCs, as well as funds to provide internet access, were donated to help students and their parents to work from home.
Setting an example to other organisations, Cambridge City Council has staged a volunteer day where unused laptops were refurbished and will now be donated through the Digital Drive to local schools.
All other laptops donated to the Digital Drive will be refurbished and fitted with new hard drives by Cambs Youth Panel’s volunteers.
THE DIGITAL DRIVE CONTINUES –
THERE ARE FOUR WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP
ONE
If your organisation has surplus good quality laptops to recycle, please contact Cambridge 2030 to arrange delivery or drop them at Cambridge 2030, St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS.
Please check your laptops against the minimum specification below to ensure they are viable. If you aren’t sure if your laptop meets the minimum specification, please donate it anyway!
Two
You can make a financial donation towards the cost of hard drives and other essentials for upgrading devices via the Cambs Youth Panel’s Go Fund Me page: gofund.me/9d04aec7 – all donations will go towards tools and technology needed to refurbish donated devices.
Three
Four
Volunteer your time and/or expertise. The Cambs Youth Panel continues to need skilled computer technicians, with current DBS Checks, to help the team with laptop refurbishment in Peterborough, Huntingdon, Wisbech, Ely and Cambridge.
LAPTOP MINIMUM SPECIFICATION:
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1.8ghz processor
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4gb RAM
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Windows pre-Vista operating systems are not viable (Vista forward only please)
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Pre-SATA 3 technology not viable (pre-2009)
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Please do not donate your laptop if it does not power on, has a leaking battery, electrical fault or a broken screen
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It will be presumed that you have removed all sensitive data from your laptop hard drive. All hard drives will be removed and sent for destruction by Veritas in compliance with GDPR. If you wish to keep your hard drive, please remove it prior to donation as it cannot be returned. By donating your computer you are giving permission to us to remove and wipe your data. All hard drives will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way that is compliant with WEEE (2013). If you have any questions, please visit the Cambs Youth Panel website: cambsyouthpanel.co.uk
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While iPads and tablets may be donated they will not enable effective home working so may be distributed for use in primary schools