Devices, Donation, Digital Inclusion & the Environment

Format: Online (link shared on registration)

Hosted by: Tech for Good South West (T4GSW) in partnership with Donate IT

About This Event

Digital exclusion is one of the most pressing equity challenges of our time — and often the most invisible. Millions of people across the UK lack access to a working device, preventing them from accessing services, education, employment and community life. Meanwhile, thousands of usable devices are discarded or recycled unnecessarily each year, creating significant e-waste.

This lunchtime session brings together the team behind Donate IT, a South West charity working at the intersection of digital inclusion and environmental sustainability. Whether you work in the voluntary sector, tech, local government, education, or simply care about these issues — this session is for you.

Session Outline (60 minutes)

12:00 – Welcome & Introduction | T4GSW (10 mins) Why this topic matters to us: digital exclusion, access to devices, and the role of the tech-for-good community in addressing it. A quick framing of why devices are a critical and under-explored piece of the digital inclusion puzzle.

12:10 – Introducing Donate IT (40 mins) The Donate IT team will take us through their work, covering:

• The issues they're addressing - digital exclusion across Somerset, Dorset and the wider South West, and the scale of the device access gap

• The landscape - what does the current market for device recycling, disposal and donation look like? Where are the gaps and opportunities?

• How it works - the Donate IT process from both sides: how to donate a device (individuals and corporates), and how organisations can refer clients who need one

• Their impact - 2,700+ devices donated to schools and families; 15,000+ electronics diverted from landfill; 50+ drop-off locations across the region — and their relationship with BlackmoreUK

• Vision for the future - hopes for the VCSE sector, for the environment, and for a South West where no one is held back by a lack of a device

12:50 – Q&A & Discussion (10 mins) Open questions and conversation with the Donate IT team.

Who Should Attend?

• VCSE sector organisations and charities working with digitally excluded communities

• Tech companies and businesses with surplus IT equipment

• Schools, housing associations and community hubs

• Anyone interested in digital inclusion, e-waste, circular economy or sustainability

• T4GSW members and the wider tech-for-good community