At Give IT Forward, our journey began amidst the unprecedented events of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. As schools closed, the education landscape transformed with the sudden shift to online learning. It was during these challenging times that we witnessed the glaring issue of digital exclusion affecting countless families.
In the United Kingdom, a staggering 9% of families lacked access to a crucial tool for remote learning: a laptop, desktop, or tablet. This digital gap had a profound impact, especially on young learners, where research revealed that the skills gap widened most rapidly in the early years.
The national statistic of 9% digital exclusion for the UK only scratches the surface. In smaller communities, these disparities can be even more pronounced. In London boroughs, for instance, neighbouring homes could have vastly different access to IT resources. Some families had multiple devices per family member, while others struggled with just one device for the entire household. The economic and educational implications of such disparities were evident.
Our CEO, Marc Newman, witnessed this firsthand as he got involved with Redbridge4Education, offering his time, skills, and equipment to aid digitally excluded families. Marc played a pivotal role in data clearing, refurbishing, and providing equipment to children in Barking and Dagenham, his own community.
The success of this initiative inspired Marc to set an ambitious goal – to reduce digital exclusion to 0%. And thus, Give IT Forward was born!
Our Vision
With the support of charity partners, generous individuals, and forward-thinking companies, the Give IT Forward team has expanded its reach nationwide. We firmly believe in the principle that ‘charity begins at home,’ and we actively promote local community engagement. This approach allows us to extend our help even further, reaching schools, community centres, churches, libraries, and hospices, and matching the right equipment to individuals in need.
Join Us on the Journey to Digital Inclusion
Would you like to be a part of our mission to bridge the digital divide and ensure that every individual has access to the digital tools they need? We invite you to join us on this journey towards a more digitally inclusive society.
Drop us a line – we’d love to hear from you! Together, we can Give IT Forward and make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.
Thank you for making a positive impact!