Morecambe firm donates laptops to help Ukrainian refugees stay in touch with home

A MORECAMBE firm has answered a call to help Ukrainian refugees currently staying in North Lancashire to work and to stay connected with families at home.

ICT Reverse, based on White Lund Industrial Estate, has donated a number of laptops to the Caton and Friends for Ukraine community support group to help families remain in contact with loved ones back home.

Jorj Haston, from the group, said: “We are volunteers working with the Caton and Friends for Ukraine community hub for Ukrainian families living in the Lune Valley and surrounding areas and we have several families that don’t have access to any IT equipment. Many are struggling, particularly if they have children or are trying to work from home and want to stay employed while they are here in the UK.

“We made an appeal for support and thankfully ICT Reverse answered the call. We can now support a few people to get online and continue their studies or their work. It also enables them to keep in contact with their family back in Ukraine more easily.

“The men aren’t allowed out of the country at the moment in case they need to be conscripted so it is really, really important we do what we can to help families stay connected to partners and families at this time.’’

She added: “We are so grateful to ICT Reverse for their generous support of the laptops. It shows the real value of what the company does in that it has taken old laptops and restored them so they can be reused for great causes such as this and I think they should be immensely proud of what they are doing to support the local community when it needs that support most.’’

The hub provides a welcoming space for families to come together and meet with tea and cake. There are English lessons provided by an ESOL-qualified volunteer and we have donations of clothing, shoes and toiletries from local people and companies.’’

Craig Smith, Managing Director of ICT Reverse, said: “Last year we worked on a similar scheme called laptops For Kids that helped children with their learning during Covid and this is a very similar idea.

“I have worked with Jorj before on some other really good causes and when she got in touch, I was only too happy to help.

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we have remodelled and restored some laptops that we have collected and got them back into full working order so they can be used again.

“We are delighted that they can be put to such good use in the community.’’

If you are a business that has any old IT equipment such as laptops, desktops or mobile phones that could be used again for good causes such as this then please contact ICT Reverse on 01524 580900 for details.