PLEASE HELP A CHILD IN CARE - COUNCIL IN URGENT PLEA FOR UNWANTED SMARTPHONES

                                                                   

Cllr Lindley - 'huge struggle' for some children in care

DOES anyone have a smartphone that is no longer needed?

That's the appeal from North East Lincolnshire Council which would welcome any donations of such devices for children in its care.

Since lockdown,  many of these young people have had to go without seeing any relatives for weeks  due to their unique circumstances

NELC's portfolio holder for children, education and young people, Cllr Ian Lindley, explains:  “Since the Government  imposed the lockdown in March, many of the young people have been unable to see their relatives or talk to them over a digital device.

“After we’ve upgraded, many of us have old phones that we’ve kept in a drawer or left on the side, and they could be given a new lease of life.

“Not everyone has access to the internet and smart phones - this is a way you could make a real difference to someone’s life during this pandemic.

“These are some great children who have been removed from their families - more often than not through no fault of their own - and they just want that contact that they look forward to. 

"For them this is a huge struggle.

"One youngster told me: 'It is so important to be able to see the people most important to us because when I can see them smile, it makes me smile too.'”

To donate your old smartphone, check the list below to make sure it meets the necessary criteria, then drop it off (observing  the Government’s guidelines around social distancing) at Broadway Children’s Centre, Broadway, Grimsby, North East Lincs, DN34 5RS on a Tuesday or Thursday morning between 10am and 12noon.

If these times are not suitable or you can’t get to the centre, email: dmin.yps@nelincs.gov.uk to arrange collection.

To be able to be used by one of the young people, the smartphone must:

* Be unlocked to allow it to be used on any network

* Have all photos and personal data removed from it

* Be reset to the original factory settings (including the removal of any previous password locks)

* Have a working phone charger with it

* Have the sim card removed

If you are  certain your spare phone meets these criteria, place it in a sealed plastic bag or envelope labelled with your name and a contact email address or phone number. 

This is so the council  can get in touch if it needs to check something about the phone or just to express gratitude.