Community Calling Smartphone Donation Scheme
Give the gift of digital connection
The digital lifestyle is becoming more and more commonplace in modern day Salford. Nowadays most of us use the internet via smartphones and tablets, which we often replace every few years. As more and more of us go online for everyday things like shopping, paying utilities and applying for jobs, some of these services are becoming online-only. We want to ensure nobody is left behind, unable to access what has become a basic human right. Salford City Council and Salford CVS have teamed up with O2 and the mobile phone charity Hubbub to help, but we need your assistance!
If you have any old, unwanted smartphones that you would be happy to donate, please look at the information below:
Please drop off these unneeded phones at the Gateway centres and the Broughton Hub, where we’ll make sure they get into the hands of the Salford citizens who need them; people like the elderly, asylum seekers, survivors of domestic abuse, and low-income households. For some of these beneficiaries it may be the first smartphone they’ve ever had, so we’ll be providing them with a data plan and any extra support they will need to learn to use them.
Before you donate a device there are a few steps you must take to ensure your data is secure.
If your device has a removable SD card, please take this out and keep it. It would not be safe for you to leave this in the device.
You must factory reset your smartphones and tablets and log out of any tracking software (such as Find my Device) prior to donation and double-check that the process worked. If you fail to do so, the device will become inaccessible. Smartphones and tablets can only be wiped by you; performing a factory reset erases all data.
Please see the following guide for information on how to delete your data:
Please see the National Cyber Security Centre’s advice on removing data from devices and checking if devices can receive latest updates for their operating systems and how to format your device to ensure it is “reset” before handing it over:
National Cyber Security Centre
If you are unable to remove your data, don't worry! Our gateway centre staff will help you follow these steps, just come in and ask at reception.
Please bear in mind, when donating a device, all mobile devices donated should
- Have a working touchscreen, free from cracks
- Have a working camera
- Have video functionality
- Have WiFi/3G capabilities
- Have a battery which holds a charge for six or more hours at a time
- Be less than six years old
If you have a charger for it, please do send it but it's not necessary if you don't.
After the devices are sent away, they will be professionally refurbished and then re-allocated to applicants along with data for 12 months. These can make a life-changing difference.
Thank you for you support!
We'd like to give a special shout out to Eccles Gateway and the community. The staff there have done a fantastic job of taking donations for our Community Calling Scheme and are doing a great job of getting the word out across social media platforms. Thank you so much to the team and to all of you who have donated: keep up the good work, you could make a huge difference in the lives of our city’s most vulnerable citizens!
Don't forget our teams are available at your local centres to help signpost you to some of our other great services and get you the help you need.
Call our Spirit of Salford Helpline if you have any questions on 0800 952 1000
or email us directly digital.inclusion@salford.gov.uk
Find your nearest Gateway or Hub.
Information on your nearest Gateway centre can be found here: