What are trying to achieve?
The global COVID-19 pandemic has created a very uncertain landscape for many Lambeth residents. The move to remote delivery of many key services has left certain individuals isolated and excluded during this time. Many individuals and families in Tulse Hill are particularly hard hit with 1 in 6 households without either wifi or digital devices to stay connected. The digital world we live in means that wifi access is no longer a luxury, it is a basic utility, with many households still excluded.
The Connecting Tulse Hill Partnership want to make sure that individuals and families are able to access the remote support and services they need during this time. Through Crowdfunder we aim to raise enough funding to allow us to purchase and distribute over 200 laptops and mobile data devices to vulnerable households in Tulse Hill. Equipment will be used so that:
- Individuals can access and apply for welfare support they may be entitled to
- Individuals can take part in online courses that are being delivered by High Trees
- Children and young people can engage in their remote school- support
- Individuals and families can stay connected to each other via video-calls
Every donation counts!
- £10 will allow an individual or family to get connected to the internet for 1 month
- £30 will allow an individual or family to get connected to the internet for 3 months
- £100 will allow us to purchase a 3g connected tablet so they can complete welfare applications
- £250 will allow us to purchase a laptop for individuals to engage in on-line learning and support
For every £1 raised, we hope a further £1 will be further matched by Lambeth Council!
Great news, We've already started supporting
We know the importance of getting equipment out as soon as possible. Thanks to early donations we have already been starting to provide digital equipment to our community members.
Here's what Sara had to say about it...
A few words from our Tulse Hill Partners on the difference this project will make....
'At Jubilee primary school we have a proud tradition of not leaving anyone behind and giving all our children equal opportunity to learn and grow. As a community it is our collective responsibility to help these children so they are not being set back further in their learning. Schools and teachers are doing an amazing job organising and setting learning activities and it would be great if we can help deliver it to all our children. Your donations are grateful received. Thank you' Tiba Powell-Chair of governors, Jubilee Primary School
'SMP fully support this scheme which will be of huge benefit to many young people we work with. Having no access to the internet and struggling to get slots in a local library is something many young people around Tulse Hill face just trying to keep up with their studies and get on in life.' Lee Dema, St.Matthews Project
'We are pleased to be able to support this, we know many individuals and families have problems assessing data on a regular basis. We will give a bit to help reach the target.' Hazel Turay, Treasurer Tulse Hill Tenants and Residents Association
'Councillors frequently see the results of lack of connection in Tulse Hill, the stress of applying for jobs online is enormous when using a phone. There are difficulties as well, accessing council services such as paying rent or council tax or even online library services in an area where there is no physical library. Coronavirus has only exacerbated the difficulties that people were facing - widening inequality and making it more difficult for people to use essential services. Enabling better connectivity will allow individuals and families to contribute to and benefit from wider resources'- Cllrs. Mary Atkins, Marcia Cameron, Ben Kind
'Holy Trinity’s staff are working incredibly hard to ensure our children and families are well supported during this extended period of school closure. We are providing a wide range of relevant, creative and engaging learning opportunities online. Unfortunately, not all our families have equal access to the internet or sufficient technology at home; this has led to frustration and worry for our parents, concerned that their children will fall behind as a result. We are delighted to be a part of this crowdfunding initiative and hope that we can provide greater opportunities for all our families to learn effectively at home. Thank you for your support.' David Winn- Head Teacher, Holy Trinity
‘This fund looks to meet the urgent needs of Tulse Hill parents who have lost their income through this crisis and cannot afford the data or the equipment to stay on line to teach their children or access vital services and we are very pleased to be able to play a role in helping them.' - Colin Crooks, CEO, Tree Shepherd
'This fundraiser is a fantastic initiative and will make a real difference to children and their families. It has never been more important for our communities to access tech and safely navigate the online environment. Being online is not a means to an end, being online enables our communities to save money, keep in touch, make informed decisions, find suitable employment and also provides learning opportunities. Everyone should be able to have these opportunities'-Lambeth Early Action Partnership
'Staff from Jubilee, as with so many schools across the country, are working really hard to ensure that a wide range of high quality work is set for pupils whilst they are unable to come into school. It is vital that all pupils have the opportunity to access this work so that gaps do not open up between those able to access their learning online and those who can't. Through this fund we will be able to support our families to reconnect with the children's online learning.'-Tom Prestwich, Headteacher, Jubilee Primary School
'Working together, we can make sure that individuals and families affected by digital exclusion across Tulse Hill, get the vital equipment and connectivity they need in order to access the remote services available during this time" -Grace English & Anna Coffey,Co-CEOs, High Trees
Who are the Connecting Tulse Hill Partnership?
This project is a collaborative effort of 3 organisations, with the support of our Tulse Hill Ward Councillors, comprised of:
- High Trees Community Development Trust- who are based in Upper Tulse Hill, and who have been working in the local community for the past 22 years. High Trees run a range of community adult education courses, employment support, community action initiatives from St. Martins Learning Centre, and we also run youth and play services from Tulse Hill Adventure Playground. High Trees will be the project managers in this initiative!
- Tree Shepherd- who run the GLOWS Maker Space and co-working hub for small enterprises on Tulse Hill Estate (that wonderful brightly coloured set of porta-cabins). They also run a range of start your own business courses and skills-based workshops.
- Jubilee Primary School- who serve hundreds of children and families from the Tulse Hill community, making sure that their development, happiness and well-being is at the heart of everything they do.
The pupils from Jubilee have created the fantastic image for our campaign and are very excited about what the project can potentially achieve!
