As some of you may already know from reading my previous columns, I have been running a ‘Local Laptops For Schools and Charities Scheme’ here in Swindon since January 2021. I have been calling on members of the public and local businesses to donate old and unused laptops to the scheme. The brilliant teams at SP Computers and Excalibur have then been refurbishing these devices so that they can be put back into use.
Many school children here in Swindon have received laptops through the scheme, as well as local charities, and last week, following a generous donation of laptops from BT Openreach and Catalent, I was delighted to be able to donate further laptops to three local charities – Healthwatch Swindon, IPSUM and Swindon Seniors Forum, as well as donating laptops to two Secondary school students here in Swindon to help with their homework.
It is brilliant to see these devices being put back into use instead of ending up in landfill, and I am delighted that Swindon charities including The Shop in Cavendish Square are teaming up with the Swindon Borough Council Digital Exclusion Manager and running Free Computer Drop-In Events for local residents. These free drop-ins help to support local residents to use their own devices, as well as identify those who could make use of a laptop through the scheme.
I have further laptops ready for donation via the scheme, so if you know of a local charity or school child who would benefit, please get in touch by emailing robert.buckland.mp@parliament .uk
I am also calling for more local residents and local businesses to get in touch if they have old or unused laptops so that these can be put back into good use, rather than being thrown into landfill. Please get in touch via the email address above.
I would like to thank all of the wonderful residents and local businesses who have already donated to the scheme, as well as the brilliant teams at SP Computers and Excalibur who have been generously giving their time to refurbish laptops.
As part of my ongoing work to raise awareness about Dementia here in South Swindon, I have been calling on local residents, local businesses, charities, schools, colleges, and all local community groups to take part in “Elf Day” https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/elf-day
I am delighted that Health and Social Care Students at New College Swindon will now be holding an “ELF and Social Care Day” to raise money and awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease on 1st December 2022.
Level one and Level two learners at New College will also be undertaking Dementia Friends Training. They will be supported to access this training in class, and resources from Dementia UK will enhance and progress this. A Dementia Friends ambassador will also visit the college to deliver in-person awareness and training. I am pleased to have also received an invitation to visit the college again, as part of this Dementia Awareness Initiative, to speak to students about why I became a Dementia Friend and why this is important to me.
Finally, my Local Charity of The Week is Swindon Guide Dogs. The main aim of this excellent local charity is to make guide dogs available to people suffering from sight loss, at no cost to themselves.
The charity pays for dog food and vet bills for each dog. This makes having a guide dog affordable to anyone in need, from all walks of life.
The only cost for a person qualifying with a new dog is 50p to pay for the legal transfer of ownership from the charity to the newly qualified guide dog owner (GDO) and the owner can then claim the 50p back when the dog retires!
It costs £8 a day to support a local partnership within our community, which is just under £3,000 per dog, per year and there are approximately 5,000 guide dog owners in the UK. This is all down to members of the public generously donating to the charity.
Puppy Raisers are desperately needed all over the UK, these are volunteers that take a puppy at around seven weeks old and stay with them until around fourteen months old, training the puppy in basic commands and helping them to socialise within the local community, taking them into supermarkets, on buses and trains, etc to prepare them to become a working guide dog.
Swindon Guide Dogs are holding a Charity Coffee Morning on Saturday 26th November between 10am – 12noon at The Crown Inn, Stratton. They will also be holding a raffle at the event, as well as selling Guide Dog goods including puppy calendars, Christmas cards, soft toys, and other items, which are ideal for Christmas gifts.
You can follow Swindon Guide Dogs on Twitter https://twitter.com/fletcas and Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/Swindon-Fundraising-Group-For-Guide-Dogs-169103016440564
