SOME 20 laptops have been delivered to a Bolton secondary school to help children with learning thanks to the combined efforts of four local Rotary clubs.

The devices arrived at St Catherine's Academy in Harwood as a result of the Laptops4Schools project run jointly by Bolton Lever, Bolton Daybreak, Turton and Eccles Rotary clubs.

Along with companies SCAN Computers at Middlebrook and We Love Laptops in Horwich, they have successfully appealed for computers to be donated by members of the public before they are vfully refurbished and supplied to schools free of charge.

The laptops were delivered at St Catherine's soon after children returned to school following the enforced break during the pandemic lockdown.

There is a continuing need for computers in many homes to help children keep up.

Rotary organisers point to a longstanding "digital divide" between the children who have a computer on the one hand and the 1.8 million children across the country who have no such advantage.

In addition, since home working by adults continues to be an important feature for many families, children often must juggle for computer time with parents and even brothers and sisters.

Rachael Lucas, the head teacher at St Catherine’s said: “We were absolutely delighted to receive 20 laptops from Rotary for our upper Key Stage 2 students.

"These laptops will support lifelong learning as 21st century learning becomes more and more digital.

"We know that as a profession we have learned so much about digital learning during the most recent lockdown, how to deliver it and what applications are available online to support learning.

"These laptops will provide support and opportunities as these students move into our secondary phase. Many many thanks indeed to Rotary for this wonderful gift.”

Danielle Duxbury’s two daughters both received laptops from the scheme.

She said: “The children have had a particularly tough year and one of my daughters even cried last night when I told her what was going on.

"We are so grateful since this is something I would never be able to do for them. It’s been difficult during lockdown because I have got three children in different school years and home schooling was on my mobile phone, which was very difficult. This has brought them a lot of happiness.”

Already, more than 60 laptops have been donated by the public to the Laptops4Schools the scheme which is refurbishing them to make them suitable for use by children.

Rotary says that as the computers become available the scheme will be extended to other schools in the Bolton and Salford areas.

Anyone who wishes to know more about the project or who may wish to help by donating a laptop or contributing to the project’s costs can do so by visiting https://www.laptops4schools.org.uk/.