Refurbished computers formerly used by Barnet Council and Capital will be given to local residents reports Sophie Mitchell

A group of people standing behind a table full of laptops — The laptops are donation to charity 2econd Chance – (Credit- Barnet Council)

Hundreds of Barnet residents will be given refurbished laptops following donations from the council and one of its service providers.

At handover ceremony last Wednesday (16th July), the charity 2econd Chance received a total of 280 refurbished laptops that will be donated to Barnet residents who are struggling to get online.

The laptops were donated from a combination of council-owned stock and by Capita, the IT services provider for Barnet Council. 2econd Chance have been working in partnership with Barnet Council on their pledge to combat digital exclusion.

The laptops will be going to residents who need them most, and some will also be used as a part of the BOOST community workshops, enabling older residents to get online, and promoting greater digital education for the whole borough. Digital Champion workshops are on offer in local libraries, to help residents with everything from accessing websites, online safety, and artificial intelligence.

Cllr Zahra Beg, cabinet member for equalities, said: “This is a really important and practical way of helping residents to become more tech-literate, which is so important in today’s fast moving online world.

“By tackling digital exclusion, we are also doing our bit to help residents access education and skills training, and find and apply for employment opportunities.”

Adam Goodman, co-founder of 2econd Chance, said: “With this initiative, we will be able to help a lot of people in the community. When 2econd Chance started in 2019, we were getting two to three laptops a month, now it’s around 40.

“At the moment we donate 25% of the laptops we receive and the remainder we sell to generate income for the charity. What I would really like in the future is for us to be able to give out 100% of the laptop donations we receive.”

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