Hackney charity Bridge The Gap – Families in Need will continue to give out digital devices and fight against the district’s digital divide, despite children returning to schools.
Charity founder and mother-of-two Melissa Francis said: “What we know from getting feedback from families is that schools are offering support, offering devices, but only on a temporary basis.
“For those that are disadvantaged, they will continue to get left behind at school if they are not provided with permanent devices. Now, and past the end of lockdown, that is what we will try and provide.”
Bridge The Gap – Families In Need is an organisation that offers digital support to low income families in Hackney. This involves giving away refurbished laptops, tablets and smartphones, as well as helping households access the internet.
The charity was established at the start of the pandemic when Francis experienced the stress and anxiety of living with poor internet after she moved to a new house. Though it was only for a few weeks, the difficulties it posed led her to speak to other families facing similar issues. As schools started to close, she realised that digital poverty affected many Hackney residents and she decided to found Bridge The Gap.
“I know what it’s like when you’re knocking on doors and they’re not opening,” Francis said. “There was — there is — a lot of people in need. We have a WhatsApp group with over 100 parents on there.”
As lockdown comes to an end, Francis said she was also “looking forward to structuring a tutor programme come September, when we can try to get other people involved as well as other volunteers”.
She added: “We might even see if it works as a paid service or something because we have to find a way to actually generate income. It’s either that or through grants, fundraising or donations.”
As of last week, Bridge The Gap has gifted 97 laptops, 16 tablets including iPads, 7 desktops, 3 game consoles, 3 printers and 3 phones to families in need. Via it’s GoFundMe page, it has raised over £3,200.
