Liverpool city region IT recycling specialist Asset Lifecycle Solutions supplies 15 free repurposed computers to children from a local primary school. Tony McDonough reports
Children at Weston Primary School in Widnes now have access to 15 extra computers thanks to a local business.
Asset Lifecycle Solutions (ALS), an IT recycling specialist based in Runcorn, has donated the 15 repurposed devices in a scheme initiated by Gina Czarnecki-Gables, senior public engagement producer at Sci-Tech Daresbury.
Through her work with primary schools across Halton, Gina identified a concerning gap, with many pupils entering secondary education with limited or no basic computer skills.
This insight prompted a collaborative response through the Sci-Tech Daresbury Joint Venture Board to tackle the issue. This led to ALS reclaiming and repurposing laptops from its existing client base, creating new opportunities for digital learning across the curriculum.
“It’s fantastic to see these computers being given a second chance of life and we are so grateful to Asset Lifecycle Solutions for gifting these laptops to Weston Primary School,” said Mike Stapleton-Chambers, senior quality assurance officer for Halton Council.
For staff and pupils at Weston Primary School, the impact of these computers will be immediate. Where learning was previously delivered via tablets, the introduction of 15 computers opens up new opportunities for more comprehensive IT teaching.
“We are so appreciative to Asset Lifecycle Solutions and feel extremely lucky to be the first school in Halton to receive these free computers,” said Helen Pitt, head teacher at Weston Primary School.
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“With school budgets stretched to the limit, every penny counts and these computers will support teaching and learning across the whole curriculum, especially in the development of computer skills, and in particular, coding.”
Following this, a new arrangement has been put in place to refurbish computers from the STFC Daresbury Laboratory, enabling even more local schools to benefit from repurposed equipment.