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Today marks the end of the 2024 Big Device Giveaway events. We have had an amazing turnout, supporting more than 1,000 Salford residents with devices, connectivity and skills support. A huge thank you to all the volunteers, partners and residents who made these events a huge success. 

Over 1,000 residents of Salford have joined us at the Big Device Giveaway events held at St. Peter's Church in Swinton, Little Hulton Library, Broughton Hub, Salford Lads Club in Ordsall and The Hamilton Davies Trust in Cadishead. Together, we’ve gifted an impressive 600 devices - refurbished laptops, tablets, and smartphones - transforming lives and enhancing connections in our community.

We are incredibly fortunate to have received generous donations from our amazing partners. AJ Bell stepped up with 50 refurbished laptops, while Virgin Media O2, Hubbub, and The National Databank contributed an astounding 150 smartphones and O2 SIM cards through the Community Calling initiative, making digital access a reality for many.

Thanks to these efforts, over 260 SIM cards have found their way to residents in need, providing essential online access. Additionally, 167 participants have signed up for our free Digital Skills Workshops, ready to develop vital digital skills. In a wonderful highlight, The Bread and Butter Thing welcomed 23 new members to their food club, strengthening the bonds of our community.

Please see below some highlights from the events this year.

The Big Device Giveaway is part of Salford Council's wider Digital Everyone campaign, which aims to help all Salford residents to get online and enjoy the benefits of digital technology. Whether you want to learn new skills, find a job, access services, stay in touch with family and friends, or just have fun, we have something for you! 

As part of the End Digital Poverty campaign, led by the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) on Thursday, 12th September, Salford Council is launching The Big Device Giveaway. This initiative aims to distribute 600 free refurbished laptops, tablets, and SIM cards to residents who lack digital access.

Please be advised applications are restricted to one device per household.

This event is now closed. Please see below for a few highlights of the first event.
Big Device Giveaway Collage - St Peters Church

The first event at St. Peter's Church in Swinton was a huge success. We had a fantastic turnout with over 270 attendees. On the day, we supported more than 200 households with devices, distributed 73 SIM cards, and signed up 53 people for digital skills workshops.

We want to give a huge thanks to AJ Bell who arrived with an additional 30 laptops for the event.

Thank you to everyone who attended!

Partners

  • AJ Bell
  • Digital Everyone
  • The Bread-and-Butter Thing
  • BetterOff
  • Gateway Localities
  • Corinth Training
  • Connect Talent
  • Age Friendly Salford
  • Employment Hubs
  • GMP Cyber Security
  • Digital Champions

Please see below for more information on the next events taking place throughout October (also known as Digitober).

This event is now closed. Please see below for a few highlights of the second event delivered at Little Hulton library.
Big Device Giveaway Collage - Little Hulton Library images

Over 100 devices (refurbished laptops and tablets) were gifted to eligible Salford residents at this event. 

Thank you to everyone who attended!

Partners

  • Age Friendly Salford
  • BetterOff
  • Corinth Training
  • Digital Champions
  • Digital Everyone
  • Employment Hubs
  • Gateway Localities
  • IN4.0 Group
  • Salford Community Leisure
  • Salford Community Upskilling
  • Women with Wings

This event is now closed. Please see below for a few highlights of the third giveaway event delivered at Broughton Hub.

Big Device Giveaway - Broughton Hub

214 people attended the Big Device Giveaway event at Broughton Hub.

95 devices were gifted to eligible Salford residents.

40 SIM cards were distributed to support connectivity.

18 residents signed up to the Digital Skills Workshop.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event!

 

This event is now closed. Please see below for a few highlights of the fourth giveaway event delivered at Salford Lads Club.

The first event at Salford Lad's Club was a huge success. We had a fantastic turnout with over 210 attendees. On the day, we supported more than 140 households with devices, distributed 60 SIM cards, and signed up 40 people to the digital skills workshops.

We want to give a huge thanks to Virgin Media O2 who gifted us with 75 smartphones for the event.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended!

Partners

  • Age Friendly Salford
  • BetterOff
  • Corinth Training
  • Digital Champions
  • Digital Everyone
  • Employment Hubs
  • Gateway Localities
  • IN4.0 Group
  • Salford Community Upskilling
  • Virgin Media O2

This event is now closed. Please see below for a few highlights of the fifth and final giveaway event delivered at Hamilton Davies Trust.

The first event at Salford Lad's Club was a huge success. We had a fantastic turnout with over 160 attendees. On the day, we supported more than 110 households with devices, distributed 60 SIM cards, and signed up 20 people to the digital skills workshops.

We want to give a huge thanks to Virgin Media O2 who gifted us with 75 smartphones for the event.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended!

Thank you to everyone who attended!

Partners

  • Age Friendly Salford
  • BetterOff
  • Corinth Training
  • Digital Champions
  • Digital Everyone
  • Employment Hubs
  • Gateway Localities
  • IN4.0 Group
  • Salford Community Leisure
  • Salford Community Upskilling
  • Virgin Media O2

Venues

The Big Device Giveaway events will take place at five community pop-up venues across the city, where eligible residents can collect their devices and receive support and guidance. The events are open to anyone who lives in Salford and is receiving any of the above listed means-tested benefits.

Hamilton Davies Trust logo

Hamilton Davies Trust focuses on Community, Education, Recreation, and Regeneration, supporting the residents of Irlam, Cadishead, and Rixton-with-Glazebrook by enhancing facilities and activities. This enables development, participation, and inclusion. 

St Peter's Church

The parish church of Swinton and Pendlebury, St Peter's offers a range of services to its local community including weekly services, evening prayer, hosting the food charity - The Bread and Butter Thing - every Thursday, Heritage Open Days and much more. Please use the above link for more details.

Salford Lads Club logo

Salford Lads and Girls Club has been providing a wide range of activities for local young people and the community for over 100 years. Activities range from boxing sessions for adults and young people, annual camping trips, football, and drama club. Please use the above link for more details. 

Little Hulton Library

Little Hulton Library offers a range of activities and services including weekly Stay & Play sessions, a Shared Reading group, Computer and Internet Access, Free WiFi, Holiday Activities for Children and much more. Please use the above link for more details.

The Broughton Hub

Located on Rigby Street, off Bury New Road, the Broughton Hub offers a wide range of community services and facilities including but not limited to:

  • Internet access and WiFi
  • Council Services
  • Library Services
  • Family Hubs
  • Citizen's Advice Salford
  • Youth Centre

Partners

The events will be supported by the organisations listed below, providing essential assistance to Salford residents. When you arrive at the event, please proceed to the BetterOff stall, where the team will check your documents to confirm your eligibility. You will then be directed to receive your device and any additional digital support.

Digital Everyone logo

Salford's 'Digital Everyone' is a council led cross-sector collaboration working to create a 100% digitally inclusive city. We want to make sure no one is left behind as digital becomes the way to access services, communicate with organisations and interact with friends and family.

The Bread and Butter Thing logo

The Bread and Butter Thing is a mobile food club that gives access to nutritious and affordable food taken into the heart of communities starved of money, food and resources. This low cost weekly shop provides essential produce for family eating – fresh fruit and veg, fridge favourites and cupboard staples.

Better Off Salford logo

Please show your documents to the team at BetterOff Salford who will confirm your eligibility. 

BetterOff Salford is for people who live in the Salford area and who may be eligible to claim benefits and/or need some support to get a job. Do you need support with the following:

  • are being forced to leave your home
  • are awaiting trial for a criminal conviction
  • have complex learning difficulties
  • have any difficulties with reading and writing
  • are a young person in care or are about to leave care

Gateway centres

Salford Gateways are a ‘one stop shop’ for a wide range of community services and facilities including:

  • Adult and children's library service
  • Council services
  • Health services
  • Information and advice
  • Data Connectivity through SIM Cards
  • GP surgeries
  • Hate crime reporting centre

Corinth Training logo

Corinth starts the new academic year (Sept 24) with a range of exciting free courses to eligible Greater Manchester residents. The courses will be delivered from various venues across Salford. Please see link for further details of courses and eligibility.

Connect Talent logo

Connect Talent provides access to ICT and mental health services for women, those with dyslexia and Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups across Manchester.

Age Friendly Salford logo

Age Friendly Salford (AFS) adopts a holistic approach to supporting the needs of individuals over 50 across the city, promoting a healthy and active ageing community. AFS provides free training, workshops and programme of activities for older people in the community.

Salford Employment Hub logo

The Salford Employment Hub provides careers, skills and recruitment support to Salford residents and employers, through a range of access points, such as face-to-face delivery, telephone contact and online digital channels available.

Greater Manchester Police logo

Offering important information and guidance to help you stay safe online. Visit the link for tips and advice on protecting yourself and your children while browsing the internet.

Digital Champion logo

Offering digital skills support to Salford residents, from learning how to use a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to specialised assistance with tasks like online shopping, setting up an email address, or staying connected with friends and family.

Salford Community Leisure logo

Salford Community Leisure, run by and for the people of Salford, is committed to enhancing the physical and cultural well-being of the community through sports, library services, and cultural opportunities across 60+ venues throughout the city.

Women with Wings logo

Women with Wings, based in the Little Hulton shopping centre, is an organisation that focuses on empowerment by supporting women in gaining access to training, employment, and self-employment opportunities. They provide a space where individuals can learn new skills, gain qualifications, and start their own businesses

Virgin Medai O2 logo

Virgin Media and O2 are two of the UK’s most iconic brands, combining 45.8 million broadband, mobile, phone, and home subscribers, and employing 16,000 staff.

Virgin Media O2 is a customer-first organization that brings a range of connectivity services together in one place, with a clear mission: to upgrade the UK. Virgin Media O2's essential broadband packages help low-income households get online for a low monthly price.

Through its new environment, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, Virgin Media O2 focuses on making its business better for people and the planet. The company has taken on the responsibility to ensure that everyone—regardless of their circumstances—can access the digital tools they need to stay connected to the people they love and the services they rely on.

As part of the Big Device Giveaway, Virgin Media O2, in partnership with Hubbub, have committed to donating 150 smartphones to support eligible Salford residents struggling with connectivity.

IN4.0 Group logo

IN4 Group, a leader in skills and innovation services, will train over 1,000 individuals from underrepresented backgrounds for tech careers, thanks to £3.5 million in government contracts through its Skills City initiative. Based at the HOST innovation hub in Salford, Skills City now operates across the UK, winning contracts in the North West, North East, and Midlands. It offers accelerated apprenticeships through Skills Bootcamps, providing training in areas like cyber security and software engineering over 12-16 weeks.

Hubbub logo

Hubbub is an award-winning environmental charity that’s all about inspiring action that’s good for the environment and for everyone. We bring businesses, organisations, local authorities and community groups together to create campaigns that make it easier and more possible for all of us to make choices that are good for the environment.

Hubbub has teamed up with Virgin Media O2 and The National Databank to data-wipe, clean and rehome unused smartphones along with 12 months’ free data, minutes and texts, to get more people digitally connected and tackle e-waste. So far 20,000 smartphones have been shared, providing vital support (Hubbub, 2024). 

As part of the Big Device Giveaway, Virgin Media O2, in partnership with Hubbub, have committed to donating 150 smartphones to support eligible Salford residents struggling with connectivity.

The council has secured over 600 devices from various sources, including donations from local business AJ Bell, government schemes, and its own Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) team. The DDaT team has refurbished hundreds of pre-owned laptops that were no longer in use by the council and made them ready for new owners.

Our devices are pre-loaded with Linux operating system to help people get online and learn new skills.

The council recognises that digital inclusion is essential for improving people's lives, especially in the areas of education, employment, health, and wellbeing. Many people in Salford lack the devices, connectivity, or skills to access the internet and the opportunities it offers. The Big Device Giveaway aims to address this gap by giving away free devices and SIM cards, as well as online safety advice from Greater Manchester Police.

In addition to the free devices and SIM cards, the council also offers digital skills support and employment support through its network and Employment Hubs. The digital skills support includes online courses, workshops, and one-to-one sessions to help people learn how to use the internet, email, social media, online banking, and other essential services.

The SIM cards have been generously donated by O2, Vodafone and Three, in partnership with the Good Things Foundation, a social change charity that supports digital inclusion.  The SIM cards provide free data plans for low-income families who cannot afford broadband or mobile contracts.

It's first come, first served and we're expecting a big turn out!

But don't worry if you miss out on getting a device - you can still access plenty of support and information at the event. Our team will be on hand to answer your questions, guide you through the available resources, and connect you with services tailored to your needs. Additionally, our website is packed with information on digital support available for Salford residents. So even if you leave without a device, you'll still be equipped with valuable tools and knowledge to help you stay connected and make the most of the digital world.

Older man and younger woman smiling and looking at a smartphone

Free Digital Workshops 

To Help You on Your Digital Journey

In our mission to become a digital city, we want to make sure that all Salford residents are not only equipped with a device and internet connectivity but also have the skills and confidence to use their laptop or tablet safely online. That’s why we’ve partnered with Corinth Training to offer digital skills support through workshops taking place in September and October. After each Big Device Giveaway event, we will host a free digital skills workshop to help you get started with your device.

Sessions will cover: 

  • Basic use of your device
  • Answer any questions you have about your device
  • Registering with Learn My Way for online bitesize digital courses
  • Signposting for additional digital support through the Digital Help Finder Tool

Register here to secure your spot on one of the Digital Skills Workshops.

 

About the author

Digital Everyone

The Digital Everyone project is part of Salford’s aim to become a Digital City, an ambition which forms part of our wider vision for a better, fairer Salford to improve resident’s lives.

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