Like many charities, the Tech Hub started from the realisation that there was a vital need within the community that wasn’t being met. In 2020, during the Coronavirus lockdowns, Green Machine were contacted by a number of schools that were desperate to get laptops so that their students could learn from home. Unfortunately not all of the children had accessible technology at home or were trying to share what IT equipment they did have with several other members of the family.

Realising that without drastic action, these children would soon fall behind, Green Machine started the Tech Amnesty campaign. This initiative called for members of the public to donate their unwanted devices so that Green Machine could refurbish them for the students. As word caught on, the demand for laptops just kept growing. The IT technicians at Green Machine worked tirelessly alongside Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to collect, repair, refurbish and donate more than 600 devices in 2020. The impact of these donations is incalculable; as many of the recipients of those laptops would have likely suffered with a decline in their education if they had not received those laptops.

As lockdowns began to lift, Green Machine persevered with their donations (as there would still be children that needed laptops at home). Knowing that over 1.4 million homes in the UK do not have a computer, Green Machine realised that the ‘digital divide’ didn’t end with children. In fact, it was just the beginning.

Wanting to help even more people with this scheme, they opened donations up to include recipients from charities and non-profit organisations. This successful idea has now helped benefit: refugees, children’s hospitals, domestic abuse survivors, adults with learning difficulties, sustainable non-profit companies, as well as school children in the UK and Africa (amongst others).

And if that isn’t enough..

The two main objectives of the Tech Hub is a) to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds get the same skills and opportunities as everyone else, and b) to stop hazardous materials from entering landfill (where they can wreak havoc on our environment). Each laptop which is restored by Green Machine prevents someone from buying something brand new. As well as costing more, creating a new machine will use lots of precious resources (such as gold, palladium, lithium etc), plus this process produces an average of 150kgs of Co2 among other harmful emissions.

Digital poverty can have a detrimental effect on a person’s life.

Have you ever left your phone somewhere for an hour, and it’s only then that you appreciate how much you rely on it for so many different functions?

Now imagine not having a phone. Nor any other device with internet access.

In a society that is totally engrossed with technology, those without the means simply get left behind. Studies have shown that an individual without a computer will (on average):

• earn 3-10% less,

• be less likely to find and keep a job,

• spend more money on their shopping,

• take over half an hour longer to access government services,

• miss out on opportunities to join online communities (which can boost mental health),

• have less choices for mental health services,

• have to visit a library or bank vastly more often,

• have fewer opportunities to connect with loved ones,

• find less choices when it comes to entertainment

Here is how you can help…

• Gather up all your old electronics and bring them to one of our secure drop-off sites. Green Machine will wipe all of the private data from your device before they start to repair and refurbish the items. Most of the time, these devices just need to be upgraded so that they can handle all of the modern applications that we use.

• Become a donation site for members of the public to come and drop off their donations

• Raise funding

• Make a cash donation

• Spread the word