Local resident Maneesh Singh and Chiswick Councillor Ron Mushiso will be running a second-hand laptop donation drive this Saturday, 6th March.

The collection point will be at St Mary's Church in Osterley between 10am and 1pm.

It follows similar efforts across the borough to support digitally excluded schoolchildren who are currently learning remotely.

The initiative is part of a wider drive to collect laptops and tablet devices for schoolchildren which includes Richmond Rugby Club and Veritas Digital Services, who have already provided dozens of newly refurbished laptops to schools across the borough.

With children set to return to schools on the March 8, the initiative stands just short of its target to provide 400 refurbished devices to pupils in Hounslow.

Laptops and tablet donations will be professionally wiped clean and reloaded with updated software thanks to Veritas Digital Services.

They will then be donated to local schools for distribution to children throughout the community to help with remote learning and, as schools return, after school clubs and homework.

Maneesh Singh said: "I have a daughter of primary school age, and I know the importance of a functional laptop in the current climate.

"There are nearly 700 children in our borough who are either without access to digital device at all, or who have to share their devices at home with parents. This is a great opportunity for the community in Osterley to help bridge that digital divide for all our school children."

Collections have taken place across the borough including in Chiswick, Brentford, Hounslow and Feltham.

If you don't possess an old device but you would like to support the cause, you can donate towards the costs of the processing: Here

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