An Oxfordshire charity has awarded £100,000. pounds for the expansion of the project

The charity has secured £100,000 in funding to refurbish phones and computers for people who cannot afford the devices.

SOFEA in Didcot, Oxfordshire, received a grant from the Time After Time fund set up by Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub.

The charity launched a project during the pandemic to provide technology devices to those most in need and reduce the amount of e-waste in Oxfordshire.

Ben Tuppen, SOFEA project manager, said the grant will help “refurbish over 1,500 devices” for residents throughout the community.

The project aims to address the digital divide while reducing e-waste by refurbishing and re-using donated devices.

SOFEA was selected as one of eight recipients of funding from over 120 entries by a panel of judges including television presenter and environmentalist George Clarke.

The project also aims to provide tools and access to the Internet that will make it easier for people to find employment and do their homework.

Tuppen said: “Our project provides free devices to those most in need in our community and we depend on donors like this to continue our vital work.

“This grant has helped secure our service for next year, with the goal of refurbishing over 1,500 devices and making them available to people across our community.”

Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub, said: “There is a wealth of smart devices in homes and businesses that can help the estimated 1.5 million digitally disconnected households get online.”

“These projects will tackle digital exclusion through research, training and device redistribution, and continue to raise awareness of e-waste and digital inclusion.”