Sellafield computer donation helps West Cumbrian school children

London: Almost 500 recycled laptops and computers have been donated by the company to schools across West Cumbria with further donations planned soon.

Although no longer needed by us, our Information Services Organisation team and supply chain partners ATOS and Allvotec, were able to identify which machines were still in good working order.

Ian Skipper, ISO head of integration support services and transition, at Sellafield Ltd explained:

An internal hardware and software update meant that we have equipment that was surplus to our requirements but of a high enough specification for use in schools.

After a quick clean down, memory replacement and new blank hard drives inserted they were packed up ready for new academic homes rather than being packed up for landfill.

This really was a Sellafield Ltd, Atos, and Allvotec joint initiative and I cannot give enough credit to the team who turned the donation idea into a reality.

The next challenge was making sure that the equipment made it into the hands of schools and children who really needed it.

Gary McKeating, head of community and development, at Sellafield Ltd said:

One of the key aspects of SiX – our social impact, multiplied programme is that we target the support we are able to provide to areas of real and demonstrated need.

We know that some students have struggled to access laptops to help with their learning during the first lockdown and if they need to isolate for any period of time.

Another feature of our social impact work is collaboration. We aren’t best placed to say which schools need the support the most, which is why we’ve worked with the WELL Project to identify where the equipment should go.

The laptops have become available as a result of the company’s migration to the Windows 10 platform. This has included a roll-out of new machines to all our employees. The process is ongoing and is expected to be complete next year.

The donated equipment is now in use in schools across West Cumbria, including Dean School.

Chair of the local governing body at Dean School, Claire Kirkpatrick, said:

This equipment has made a massive difference to the way that lessons can be delivered.

Previously we only had a very small number of laptops, all of which were extremely old, that had to be shared between a large number of children across the school.

This was never ideal but especially in the current climate. However, thanks to Sellafield Ltd’s kind donation, every pupil in a whole class can now have access to a laptop.