Bridging Portsmouth’s Digital Divide

Aim: Help us to provide laptops and internet access to the Portsmouth children who need them most

Every child in this city needs to continue their education, for their future and for their wellbeing. We need your help in supporting those who don't have easy access to the laptops or broadband that would help them to continue with lessons.

Our commitment to provide devices doesn’t stop with our schools, we are also working in collaboration with the Hive (hiveportsmouth.org.uk) to ensure that vulnerable adults in our community have online access. Whether that’s to keep up with the news, speak to loved ones, apply for job roles or secure their weekly online food shop. Our aim is to provide as many families as possible with a device and internet access.

What has been provided so far...

Schools are now closed to all but a very small group of children, with the majority of children now having to learn at home. Portsmouth schools have made enormous strides over the last few months in developing their remote offer to pupils, developing their skills and producing live and recorded lessons, introducing welfare calls and group sessions. They have also introduced a wide range of apps to make it easier for teachers, pupils and parents to communicate whilst children are not in school.

The work that the government, Portsmouth City Council and individual schools, and the Academy Trusts have done to increase access to devices mean that these arrangements generally work very well. However, the new national lockdown and closure of schools has brought a new level of challenge, with many families sharing a single device or relying on a pay-as-you-use mobile phone to access children’s work for the day.

Here's what just a few of our City's Year 11 pupils have said: 

Next Steps:

Please pledge your support and check out more details on our Shaping Portsmouth website here

Thank you from everyone involved in this project in advance for your support, your donation will make a huge difference in our city -  [email protected]  

This project is delivered in partnership with: