Digital access on the Isle of Wight is often framed as a question of connectivity. In practice, broadband coverage across the Island is strong. What continues to limit access for many young people is far more basic: whether there is a suitable laptop available to use.
For young people aged 11 to 19, that gap has real consequences. Limited access to appropriate technology continues to affect how easily they can take part in online learning and develop the digital skills now embedded in secondary education and the transition beyond it. Local data highlights ongoing barriers linked to education and employment across the Island, with access to technology remaining a factor.
Through Tech4Communities, the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) is supporting a local device donation drive on the Isle of Wight aimed at responding to that need directly. The initiative is encouraging Island businesses to donate unused laptops and tablets so they can be refurbished and redistributed to schools and community organisations working with young people.
The work is being delivered with the support from Richard Quigley, MP for Isle of Wight West, following discussions about low levels of digital access despite strong infrastructure.
“The Digital Poverty Alliance has done great work around the country, and I would like to thank Elizabeth Anderson for quickly taking up the challenge for the Island after our meeting.”
“The low levels of digital engagement they have found is worrying and as more and more services move to digital formats, I am so pleased that this campaign asks for laptop donations from local businesses, to help our schools and communities to be better connected.”
All donated laptops will be securely wiped and restored before being distributed. Once refurbished, laptops will be provided to schools and community groups across the Island, ensuring young people have access to technology that is safe, reliable, and suitable for learning.
For the DPA, the Isle of Wight donation drive reflects a familiar reality. Connectivity alone does not guarantee access. Where young people lack suitable devices, exclusion persists, even in well-connected places.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO, Digital Poverty Alliance, said the initiative focuses on addressing that gap in practical terms. “Even where broadband infrastructure is strong, young people can still be excluded if they do not have access to appropriate devices. Supporting schools and community organisations with refurbished laptops helps remove one of the most immediate barriers to participation in education and digital life.”