Over the last few months we have been preparing our unused devices for donations to local schools and charities close to our Brick Lane office. In total, 60 computers (iMacs and MacBooks) have been given a second lease of life within the local community.
We picked out a few schools and charities which work in and around Shoreditch, as well as setting a few aside for a foundation set up in February last year to honour our late founder. The Andy Taylor Foundation works with young adults aiming to start a career in digital media. The other charities we ended up donating to were The Complete Works and The Switch, both of which have their offices a 5 minute walk away from the Truman Brewery office! These charities work with young people providing alternative education options and employability skills.
The Complete Works have recently opened a new site and the iMacs we gave them will be used in a music studio for their students.
The Switch is a charity based in Tower Hill which works with young people to improve their employability, with the aim of stopping the generational poverty in the area. They also work with other charities and local schools to make sure young people have access to all the tools and resources they’ll need for success.
A few MacBooks also went to the Brick Lane School which specialises in education for autistic children.
As well as aiming to make a difference in our community, donating these devices means we are producing less electronic waste and keeping in line with our sustainability vision. Though we work with zero-to-landfill recycling companies when we need to, reducing waste entirely where possible is always the better option.
A lot of work went into getting all these devices donation ready and it was a really exciting project outside of my usual work to be a part of. It feels great to know that we’ve made a difference for people in the local community.
