Getting Everyone Online: Digital Inclusion by Borrow Don't Buy
Getting Everyone Online (GEO) is Borrow Don’t Buy’s (BDB) digital equality project. We collect donations of unwanted tech, then repair, refurbish, and redistribute it to people experiencing digital exclusion in Plymouth, with the help of partners.
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Do you want to support the project but don’t have devices to donate? You can still help out a lot by donating money. All donations are used to buy the spare parts needed to refurbish devices and get more people online. Thank you for your support, we couldn’t do it without our community!
About The Project
Borrow Don’t Buy, Plymouths Library of Things was shut during the Covid-19 period but continued to push the sharing agenda in other ways by partnering with local community builders Nudge to bring upcycled tech to people who really need it. When Wendy Hart from Nudge contacted Borrow Don’t Buy to ask if they could help them, to help the people of Plymouth, and the answer, was of course a resounding yes!
Since then, Plymouth community helpers have been collecting up unused and dusty laptops, smartphones, and tablets from kind people around Plymouth and delivering them to the fixer elves at Borrow Don’t Buy so they can be given a new lease of life.Â
The repair team (which consists of some of the same people that helped out at Borrow Don’t Buys repair cafes) spend hours ensuring each piece of technology is thoroughly inspected and cleaned (physically and digitally), upgraded, (using second-hand parts where possible) before having all new software installed. When the team is satisfied that the item is in good working order and it has been safety tested, the community helpers collect it back up and work with Nudge and other community organisations to find local people that are experiencing digital exclusion.Â
WHY OUR WORK IS IMPORTANT
We Believe…
Access To The Internet Is a Basic Human Right.
According to a recent report, 78% of people said contacting people via digital tech online was a key factor in coping during the COVID-19 crisis. Yet digital inequality is rife in poorer parts of society – we had reports of families who were trying to home educate with only one smartphone between three children. Marsha de Cordova, shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, recently called for the government to take action to reduce the inequality of provisions in phone and Internet service during the crisis. And we agree, but here at Borrow Don’t Buy we believe in a sharing economy, in community, and in kindness. Which is why we’re running this fantastic project!
We Also Believe…
We Should All Take Steps To Reduce our Waste.
Many people have devices sitting around at home that are too good to be recycled, or contain sensitive data that needs to be wiped. We solve these problems by securely erasing and replacing old hard disks with SSD’s and getting those devices fixed up and back into use. The longer these devices stay out of landfill or recyclers, the more they return the investment of raw materials that were used in their making. Of course, we recycle our waste too but only for items that absolutely cannot be used anywhere else. Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
OUR PROCESS
When you donate your items to us, we go through a meticulous process to assess what work needs to be done to the device and how much it might cost to put it back into use. We weigh these costs against the likely future lifespan of the device and how useful and useable it might be to its next loving owner. Even if a device is beyond economical repair we may still be able to find a use for it. We have listed some possible outcomes in our order of preference so you can see how we roll!
Refurbish
Sell
Organ Donation
Recycle
If you have old devices sat in a cupboard that are no good for getting back into use, then head over to Recycle Your Electricals to find where is best to take your items. We can’t recycle for you due to limited space and funding but somewhere else will!
Once we have received an item and we know it is a solid candidate for refurbishment we go through the following process to make sure that it is ready to go out to its new owner. This can sometimes take a long time as parts for older machines can be hard to come by and our team have a lot on their plate making sure as little goes to waste as possible but rest assured we will get to you, as long as we have devices available!
- CLEAN: We clean the device, and we clean the data. Really gold second-hand hard drives are reused after a complete secure data wipe, but in most cases, we destroy the old drive and use an SSD to make it faster.
- REPAIR/UPGRADE: Replacing the parts that are broken can be expensive, so we try to focus our efforts on the best devices. If you have something with a bad battery, broken hard drive, screen, or keyboard. We can probably fix it.
- CLEAN AGAIN: To make sure we minimise our risk of transferring unwanted germs. We clean everything twice using isopropyl alcohol.Â
- SAFETY TEST: It is super important that the refurbished devices are safe to use, so we have a qualified electrician check and certify every used device, and where something was dangerous, we replace it with another. We try to buy used parts where possible to reduce our impact on the environment, but never at the cost of safety.
- REPACK: Using environmentally friendly packing materials we repack the devices and attach stickers to the box to let our partners know exactly what’s in the box, and who it would be good for.Â
Donate A Device
Below are the devices we need donated. If the item has a GREEN box with ‘WE NEED THESE’ under it, go ahead and fill in the form with as much info about your device as posible. If the box is YELLOW with ‘GET IN TOUCH’, then fill in the form with as much info as possible – we might be able to take your device but might already have too many. If the box under the item is RED with ‘FULLY STOCKED’ then we aren’t taking donations of that device type at the moment.Â
Laptops
Laptops are one of the most versatile devices and are always in high demand. If you have one that you no longer need and is in good condition, get in touch below!
Tablets
Tablets, especially more recent ones with undamaged glass screens are best. If you are donating an ipad, please make sure you have disabled the device lock!
Phones
Phone that start up and are unlocked are best, but we can refresh all sorts of devices. A phone should be able to access the web for us to take it.
All In Ones
Apple iMacs or other all in ones are fantastic! They can be hard to upgrade but they are great for getting someone online! If you do have one, please try to find the driver disks that came with it as these can sometimes cause issues!
 Desktops
Full size desktops can be problematic, so If you have one to donate it should be from the last 3 years and have a valid windows licence. Small form factor desktops are much better – things like the mini ATX, Mac Mini or Intel NUC are great!
Other Devices
Headphones, monitors, printers and other accessories can be super useful! These devices don’t specifically get someone online, but can either support them alongside their device, or be sold to help fund the project, so get in touch.
 If after reading the above, you are still keen to donate your device (Top Tip: It is much more efficient if you talk to friends, neighbours and family to pool your unwanted devices), then use the form below to tell us what it is you have, with as much detail as possible. Things like “I dropped it in the sea” or “my dog ate it” are really good ways for us to assess if we can take the device. Sadly, we can’t take e-waste as it costs us to get rid of it, so if we can’t take them, please recycle them responsibly – you can find the best place to send items using the Recycle Your Electricals locator!
Request A Device
Do you or someone you know need a device? We understand it’s sometimes difficult to ask for things so pop your details in the form below we will be in touch with more details. If you prefer to use a paper form, just let us know below and we can get one to you. Devices come with no strings attached, just an option give us feedback a few months after you recieve your device to ask how it has impacted you which helps us access more funding in the future!
If you need a device but are aged under 18, please get your parent, guardian, caseworker or guarantor to request a device on your behalf.
Unfortunately we do not offer device repairs due to very limited capacity and costs. We suggest popping into your local tech repair shop for advice on any devices in need of repair. If you have devices you no longer need scroll up to check out what we can accept as donations.
Device Request Form
This form is for requesting a device for someone who is unable to access the internet and to be added to our waiting list.
Please note, we ONLY operate in Plymouth postcodes PL1 – PL12 so please do not fill in this form if the device recipient lives outside of this area as we will be unable to help.
You can find more support over on the Good Things Foundation’s, National Digital Inclusion Network HERE.
If you would like to join our mailing list to keep up with the project and other BDB news, sign up HERE.
Tips and links to help you get started on your device:
- The Good Things Foundation is the National Digital Inclusion network and loads of resources to access data, information and resources including their FREE digital skills platform Learn My Way where you can learn everything you need to know about using your device!
- There is also a Digital Helpline run by Lloyds Bank which offers 1 – 2 – 1 training on how to do basic tasks online find out more HERE
- We are a member of Plymouth’s Digital Inclusion Network, along with other local organisations who are working to reduce digital exclusion in the City – check out the list HERE for other help you might be able to access!
- Other basic online training sites: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/basic-computer-skills/ and https://www.readandspell.com/computer-basics-for-adults
 PARTNERS and supporters
The work we have done so far would not have been possible without the support, collaboration, advice and funding of the organisations below. We are now a member of PCC Digital Inclusion Network which is bringing together expertise and resources from across the city to help engage and support those who are digitally excluded and hope to continue building partnerships as the project develops.
Do You Want To Partner With Us?
Laptops
Desktops
Phones
tablets
Refurbished so far!
Get In Touch
If you would like to talk to about anything at all, please use the form below. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to learn more about the project, donate, support or partner with the project and anyone who can help us share our message to increase our impact. We would also love to hear from you if you want to volunteer for the project! Get in touch!
