Encirc Beverages donate 48 repurposed laptops to help disadvantaged children

Encirc Beverages at The Park in Bristol is helping disadvantaged children in their local community after refurbishing 48 unused laptops which will now be utilised in an educational capacity.

The laptops were collected last week by DigiLocal, a company that supports and empowers those with an interest in technology within communities; building a community of like-minded individuals who wish to open access to technology and coding to all.

They provide a safe, fun, and supportive environment for young people to learn skills that will equip them for technologies that are an increasingly important part of our day-to-day lives.

For Encirc, part of the Vidrala Group, this is a wholly positive collaboration that will now enable previously digitally isolated children to gain access to develop key skills, better positioning them for careers in STEM as well as enabling regular schoolwork which is increasingly digital in nature.

It also fits perfectly with Encirc’s commitment to sustainability as the repurposed laptops have been saved from landfill with the IT team at The Park using their skills to make the laptops fit for use in the education sector.

Encirc Beverages Managing Director, Richard Lloyd said: “This a super initiative and well done to everyone who made this happen. By collaborating with local firms such as DigiLocal we can combine our skillsets to make a real difference in the communities that we serve.”

He added: “Sustainability is one of the key values upon which our business is built and this collaboration shows what can be achieved. Our sustainability strategy is about much more than decarbonisation and we are always looking at how we can recycle and reuse as widely as possible within our operations in Encirc Beverages. This is a great example of a functioning circular economy.

“The fact that these laptops will now be used by young people in the community who previously did not have access to the digital world we now live in cannot be underestimated. What a purposeful project in all senses.”

John Bradford, CEO, DigiLocal commented: “Most of our laptops are redistributed via the Bristol Somali Resource Centre in Lawrence Hill (Wellspring Community Centre). They are specifically directed to families with young people (8-12 years) that are starting to use computers at school but don’t have access at home.

“This provides them with a functioning laptop for homework and other studies. The laptop is a gift to the family, but we expect it to be mostly used by the young person for their schoolwork. The close relationship BSRC has with the families helps ensure this without having to get into means testing or other qualifying criteria.”