FOUR Rotary clubs have teamed up with two Horwich computer businesses to make laptop computers available to schoolchildren learning at home.

Bolton Lever, Bolton Daybreak, Turton and Eccles Rotary clubs joined forces with SCAN Computers and We Love Laptops, who will ensure computers donated by members of the public are properly refurbished before being supplied free of charge to local schools.

Organisers say the project has been launched as a result of the stresses of the lockdown, especially as some children are struggling to keep up with the lessons their teachers are posting online.

Some children are known to be using mobile phones, some must share a computer with others in the family, some have limited data allowances and some have no computer available at all.

Mike and Margaret Parker of Ladybridge, Bolton, were among the first to donate.

Margaret said: “We are delighted to start things off. We know from the experience of our own granddaughter that home-schooling during the pandemic can be a challenge, but it must be so much harder if you don’t have the right equipment.”

The quartet of clubs and the computer companies launched the project on Valentine's Day at the weekend.

Rotary district officer, Swati Mukherjee said: “Since one of our sponsors is named We Love Laptops we thought it would be very appropriate to launch this much needed project on Valentine’s Day.”

The clubs say the project also helps to reduce the amount of electronic waste going to landfill.

More than two million computers are thrown away each year in the UK.

They all contain rare and valuable elements which, if reclaimed or the items refurbished, will reduce the need for intensive mining in various parts of the world.

Rotary is now arranging for donated machines to be inspected, cleaned of data, and brought back to life suitable for use by school children. The work is undertaken at minimal cost to the project.

The project relies on the generosity of people to donate their laptops or money to pay for the refurbishment. The aim is to refurbish 100 laptops in the first instance, but the project will expand as the initiative gathers pace.

Anyone interested to make a donation can do so by visiting the website at www.laptops4schools.org.uk where there is more information about the project.