A CHARITY aiming to end digital poverty in the UK has kicked off a new initiative in Ayrshire.

The Digital Poverty Alliance plans to donate laptops to disadvantaged families across South, East and North Ayrshire to help them reconnect to the digital world.

Rhys Thomson, 14, was among the first to receive a state-of-the-art laptop when the initiative was launched at the Currys store in Irvine last week.

Ayrshire has been chosen as one of just five areas across the UK where the Tech4Families initiative will begin after research by the charity found it to be one of the areas most affected by digital poverty in the UK.

Elizabeth Anderson, chief operating officer for the Digital Poverty Alliance, said: “Digital poverty is a major issue across the country, with nearly three million people still ‘offline’ and without the right means to digital access.

“Without technology, disadvantaged families and individuals are neglected of the same opportunity to build a career, to complete school work, or interact with their friends and family.

“We are therefore excited to be rolling out Tech4Families, which seeks to help people get online now.”

Catrin Hale, group social impact manager for Curry, the charity’s retail partner in the initiative, added: “Technology makes up the backbone of business, society and entertainment in the modern day, and every single person deserves equal opportunities to access the internet, work via digital means, or learn on a laptop, regardless of their socio-economic status, age, or background.

“We are therefore thrilled to be working the Digital Poverty Alliance in a collaboration to make access to technology a reality for even more people.”

Find out more about the initiative at digitalpovertyalliance.org/tech4families.

Currys and The Digital Poverty Alliance, the charity seeking to end digital poverty in the UK, have officially kicked-off its Tech4Families initiative across the Ayrshire, which will see disadvantaged families across North, East and South Ayrshire being donated laptops to help reconnect them to the digital world.

The launch was celebrated at an in-person event on Monday 20th of June, hosted at the Currys store in Irvine. During the celebration, Rhys Thomson, aged 14, was donated a state-of-the-art laptop.

Irvine, and the wider Ayrshire area, was selected as just one of five areas across the country where Tech4Families will be physically rolled out, as it was found to be one of the areas most affected by digital poverty in the UK.

Catrin Hale, Group Social Impact manager for Currys said, “Technology makes up the backbone of business, society and entertainment in the modern day, and every single person deserves equal opportunities to access the internet, work via digital means, or learn on a laptop, regardless of their socio-economic status, age, or background.

“We are therefore thrilled to be working the Digital Poverty Alliance in a collaboration to make access to technology a reality for even more people.”

Elizabeth Anderson, COO for the Digital Poverty Alliance also spoke on the initiative saying, “Digital poverty is a major issue across the country, with nearly 3 million people still ‘offline’ and without the right means to digital access. And, without technology, disadvantaged families and individuals are neglected of the same opportunity to build a career, to complete school work, or interact with their friends and family.

“We are therefore excited to be rolling out Tech4Families, which seeks to help people get online now.”