AUGUST 30, 2021
SocialBox.Biz Partners with Migrant Help Charity
Modern day slavery is a major problem in Scotland, and as trafficking victims turn to shelters, they are in need of ways to communicate with loved ones, find jobs, and obtain education. Migrant Help and SocialBox.Biz have announced a partnership that will directly help these innocent people get back on their feet. Migrant Help, which is based in the United Kingdom, is a charity that specifically helps migrants, especially asylum seekers, refugees, and victims of human trafficking. By providing these victims with laptops, we can forever change their lives and help them pave new roads forth in their lives.
Modern day slavery and human trafficking is a growing issue across the United Kingdom particularly in Scotland, but what are the challenges for victims and how can we help them recover? As trafficking victims turn to shelters for housing, support, and safety, they need ways to communicate with loved ones, find jobs, and obtain education. Without access to smart devices they struggle to access services, apply for employment and training opportunities, and stay connected to loved ones and a much-needed support network.
Migrant Help and SocialBox.Biz have announced a partnership that will directly help survivors of trafficking and slavery to progress on their journey to recovery, starting in Scotland. Migrant Help is a national charity working across the United Kingdom, that specifically helps migrants, with a focus on supporting asylum seekers, refugees, and victims of human trafficking and slavery. By providing those who want to escape trafficking and slavery with laptops or other smart devices, we can provide a lifeline to services and support and forever change their lives increasing their chances to create a safe, fulfilled, and wholesome future free of slavery.
SocialBox.Biz is a not for profit organisation that receives gently used but no longer needed laptops and other tech items from a range of businesses and organisations including some Migrant Help partners, who include organisations from the public, private and voluntary sector. SocialBox.Biz takes the donated items and devices are wiped clean and updated with open source software. Following this process, the suitable laptops and other items are donated to those in need through the partnerships that SocialBox.Biz have created to ensure devices get to those most in need. By doing so, we are helping people get the resources they need to move forward in their lives.
For victims of trafficking and slavery, moving forward isn’t always as easy as it might sound, and by providing survivors with these devices to access the internet, we are helping them take the right steps for a happy, healthy life. This new partnership will ensure that survivors supported through Migrant Help’s Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract will have increased opportunities to receive a donated laptop or smart device from SocialBox.Biz. To help us maximise the number of devices available to families and individuals who are in need, SocialBox.Biz welcomes new partnerships and donations of your unwanted but still useful tech items.
Case studies from Migrant Help Charity:
1. ‘One of our clients is about to start her National 4 Care Course as well as English college classes, but she needed a laptop in order to undertake get started. Thanks to SocialBox.Biz, who sent her a laptop last week, she will start studying next week! Once she is granted asylum, she hopes to go on to become a nurse, so she will have lots more studying to undertake, all of which will be made possible thanks to her laptop. She also plans to use the laptop for contacting the services and accessing the resources she needs for her two year old daughter.’
2. ‘Our client shared with us that that he is eager to learn English so he can attend college and that he would like to start some self-study around woodwork, tiling and painting in order to increase his employability. I felt a laptop would be very beneficial to him and was so pleased when SocialBox.Biz provided him one. We are now looking to fund his Wi-Fi for a year and enrol him in college so he can start on this new journey.’
3. ‘My client has a laptop kindly provided by SocialBox.Biz which has opened up new opportunities for her. She takes great pleasure in learning new things online, she has recently joined an online befriending service, Conversation Corner, as a befriender so that she can help other people who feel lonely or lost and she uses online songs and games to support the development of her two year old son. Thanks SocialBox.Biz!’
Centrepoint charity partner case study
SocialBox.Biz delivered a large batch of laptops during this difficult lockdown time to our partner Centrepoint who are working with young homeless people. The laptops acquired were wiped clean and loaded with open source software via the technology innovation service from SocialBox.Biz Community Interest company. The laptops are used for a variety of things such as communication with family members, obtaining education, and securing employment.
The c-19 lockdown has caused a number challenges faced by vulnerable populations, as can be attested to by our long-term charity partner Centrepoint.
Their team has helped a number of homeless youths during the lockdowns, and one of the ways in which Centrepoint helped to enrich the lives of the vulnerable was through the partnership with the Laptops for Homeless Initiative.
Hostel manager Sophie Wilson, who is at Centrepoint’s West London hostel, said, “This year has been an extremely challenging one for the young people living in the hostel. During the lockdowns, school, college, and university closures put their educational development at risk.”
She elaborated, “The laptops donated to us by SocialBox.Biz have been a lifeline for the young people we support who aren’t lucky enough to own laptops and attend online classes. These laptops have made such a difference and allowed young asylum seekers to join English classes and attend Zoom tutor sessions.”
Simon, a young person from another Centrepoint accommodation facility send this feedback from his SocialBox.Biz laptop:
Good day to all persons concerned. I want to tell you all how very grateful I am for having been gifted a laptop. The laptop has been of a lot of value to me in the course of my studies in particular as I am focused on a career in the sciences. The sciences include maths are my strong subjects. I will be continuing at the same 6 form college this academic year. I am struggling in my English I will retaking English but will be doing my A levels. My dream is to move on to university to study nuclear science. My laptop has also been a joy to me in other ways also when I am not studying and I am at home at Centre Point I am able to access so music or films for entertainment which I also enjoy. I am so very grateful to have been given such a valuable addition to enable to complete my studies wherever I am.
Additional case studies from Centrepoint
A.R: is a former young person moved to his own flat. I spoke with him this morning. He reported that the laptop helped him to do online his courses works. Also to do the research, learn some grammar and spelling. He thanks Centre Point for supporting him about the laptop.
A.H: received the laptop during the lockdown. He stating that the laptop helped him for one month to attend online his courses, and he is really appreciative as without it, he did not have another option to study. .
J.D: The laptop has been very helpful for me to access college work and college resources. Thanks so much to the people who donated this to me. I am forever grateful.
R.M: The laptop was helpful to access his ECDL training with CP. In addition, he used it a lot when his phone became faulty as he was able to download some app on it. He said that he would have really struggled without the help of Centre Point and SocialBox.Biz
M.Y: reported similar benefit of access to ESOL course work and enablement to learn through friends how to use computers. It was especially helpful during lockdown when he had to use the laptop for zoom meetings and online course work.
Partnership with The University of Surrey – Real Change Guildford Initiative
Real Change Guildford is a community Initiative to end homelessness in Guildford and harnesses a joined up approach with all homeless providers. The laptops were donated to Vaughan house homeless hostel in Guildford. One of the laptop users wrote:
“I have been using my lap-top and it has changed my life. I can now stay in touch with my friends and gain access to my Journal for my benefits and book appointments with my GP using their auto web service, so this computer is amazing.”
If you’d like to learn how you can help make a difference by releasing your old no longer needed but still useful tech from your offices please reach out to the team at SocialBox.Biz today.
For additional case studies please check:
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