Tech charity takes advantage of Microsoft withdrawal
A Cambridge-based charity is urging businesses to donate old laptops to help disadvantaged families.
With Windows 10 no longer supported, many companies are discarding old laptops. But there’s a better way, says James Tweed, founder of Rebooted
A charity that supplies disadvantaged families with IT equipment is taking advantage of Microsoft’s recent decision to stop supporting the Windows 10 operating system.
As of October 14, Windows 10 users have no longer been able to receive important software updates or security improvements, rendering thousands of computers unsecure.
However, Cambridge charity boss James Tweed, who founded Rebooted to help struggling families gain access to digital education and services, says the Microsoft shutdown could be a blessing for many.
“Believe it or not, there are millions of people in this country who are offline. Many of these are children who don’t have internet access or a decent computer to work from. This places them at a major disadvantage and can dramatically impact their academic performance,”
James Tweed Founder of Rebooted
“Young people who have parents in prison are a particular concern and focus for Rebooted. But businesses can help by donating their old computer equipment to us.
“Our partners securely wipe them, install Google ChromeOS Flex, and turn them into fast, modern machines for disadvantaged young people who need access to education and work.”
Tweed, who is based in Cambridge’s historic Chesterton Mill, says the end of Windows 10 support marks a turning point – and Rebooted is seizing the opportunity.
“Companies are calling us to see if we can take away their old Windows 10 kit and very often we can. So if your company is still holding on to old Windows 10 laptops, they don’t need to go in the bin, they can be used for good.
“Right now, we have a waiting list of more than 140 young people who need a device. Every single laptop sitting idle in an office could change a life.
“Every child belongs in education and, in today’s world, that means having digital access and digital literacy.”
About James Tweed
James Tweed is the founder of Rebooted, a Cambridge-based charity tackling digital and educational exclusion for prisoners’ families and disadvantaged young people. Rebooted refurbishes donated IT equipment, securely wipes it, installs learning software and provides it to those in need, helping families reconnect and access education.
James also founded Coracle, which delivers secure digital learning to inmates in over 90% of public prisons in England and Wales. He is a member of the DSIT Digital Inclusion Action Committee (DIAC) sub-committee on Inclusive Digital Services. Tweed’s work is driven by a commitment to end digital exclusion and expand opportunity through technology
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This is a brilliant initiative! The timing couldn't be better with Windows 10 end-of-life creating a wave of perfectly functional hardware being discarded. Converting these to ChromeOS Flex is a smart technical solution that gives devices a second life. James Tweed's focus on children with incarcerated parents is particularly important - these families face compounding disadvantages that digital exclusion only makes worse. The 140+ waiting list shows the scale of the need. Every buisness sitting on old Windows 10 laptops should seriously consider this option.