An Evercreech councillor is backing a campaign to collect unwanted laptops that can be donated to children who need them for home learning.

Barry O'Leary, who is the Mendip district councillor for the Evercreech area, has already received eight laptops from local residents and businesses since he launched the Tech Together laptop appeal in the area earlier this week.

Barry is offering to help collect laptops from local residents and drop them off with the specialist information technology company Blackmore IT so they can be refurbished and reused locally. Collection of any laptops will be socially distant and Covid-safe.

There are local families without access to laptops, which can make home learning very difficult during the lockdown due to the amount of live lessons provided via the internet and amount of work being set online to keep children and their families safe.

If you have an old laptop, or perhaps run or are involved in a business that may have old, unused laptops that could be donated, you can get in touch with Barry at [email protected].

Barry told Shepton Mallet Nub News: "I'm delighted at the success of Tech Together, not just in Evercreech but also in communities of Batcombe, Butleigh and Baltonsborough.

"We need to close the digital divide - good tech is fast becoming a home utility, it's as essential as running water for many."

It's estimated every household has around five or more old IT tech, mobile phones, game devices, etc, gathering dust.

Reusing these items wherever possible reduces demand for new IT tech products and the carbon dioxide and environmental impact in making and buying a new product.

In addition, Covid-19 has thrown up a digital divide for many people, which is excluding them from vital home education and social support due to a lack of suitable IT tech equipment at home.

Somerset resident Simon Barfoot is a specialist in IT tech recycling, and his business Blackmore IT will upcycle and renovate the donated equipment to give students and vulnerable people access to affordable IT tech for home learning and virtual communication.

If your machine or IT tech cannot be repurposed they will convert this into usable parts, and the cash made donated to the community - it will stay locally where Simon will ensure it is used to benefit local students.