A SocialBox.Biz post by Heather Brown , Freelance PR consultant, January 2020. ( Latest update July 2023 )
About Our Company
We are a forward thinking company aiming to improve the local community with dynamic tech solutions. SocialBox.Biz is the organisation behind the Laptops for Homeless Initiative, which has gained much momentum through strategic partnership with businesses and local organisations that are partnering with us on an ongoing basis. Our initiatives are designed to get laptops into the hands of homeless people in accommodation services or as a part of a package of moving into permanent accommodation, support refugees, train at-risk job seekers, and offer practical computer skills classes and access to e-learning. As our initiatives continue, we work to measure our social impact performance.
What Does SocialBox.Biz Do And How Is It Funded ?
We arrange collect old no longer needed but still useful technology – We have been able to fund raise with some of the old but still useful items from offices to keep our initiative self-sustaining, past examples include coffee machines, desktops, screens, conference room projectors, office telephones, network routers, massage tables, gym equipment etc. Over the years thousands of no longer needed but still usable items have been reused this way providing us with an income as a self-reliant company and to fund out donation initiatives of free items. Our IT innovation solutions are solving many businesses problems whilst aiming to provide IT training for disadvantaged people and solve various impact impact problems for our clients.
Our initiative do not replace a regular recycling contract. We ask that any organization that may have material being replaced contact us first so that we can determine if there are any usable items to be re-purposed before any scrap recycling takes place. This way, we can be keep the process as sustainable as possible on an ongoing basis.
We take tech items and arrange on site data eradication solutions and send some of them over to someone in need with free open source software.
We have created partnerships with many local organisations who cater to the homeless population to help make the most of our initiatives. For instance, we work with Centrepoint, The Passage, Age UK London, Street Storage, YMCA, New Horizon Youth Centre, Migrant Help Charity and The C4WS – organisations who are all committed to helping homeless and disadvantaged people connect with careers, housing, and education.
Case Study After Case Study…
If you visit our website, you can find where time and time again our initiatives have helped improve the life of someone in need. For instance, stclients at Centrepoint have left feedback discussing how using donated laptops helped them bridge gaps in language through ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses, as well as helped them find educational and career opportunities. We have received numerous such testimonials from our partners, and many of these testimonials can be found on our website.
Social Giving Reduces Emissions
Insights have shown that local giving actually helps reduce emissions, which gives our partners just one more reason to back our cause. There is a strong link between local donation, Scope 3 emissions and pollution reductions, and business impact goals, giving our partners numerous benefits for backing our initiatives. By strengthening ties with the community, we are giving back in many ways!
“Many of our great business clients are already helping people and families in hardship by shifting their impact strategies towards local social impact which can reduce digital exclusion among the most vulnerable in this country.” said the team at SocialBox.Biz.
At SocialBox.Biz, there are some common themes. For instance, we see that donating locally benefits the community. In addition, we find that donating locally reduces Scope 3 Emissions and boosts social impact, all while helping to increase share price of companies who donate.
This is something many of our great business clients are already doing and to make this sustainable we are inviting other sectors to join on an ongoing sustainable basis .
From Peter Paduh the Founder….
“We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our incredible corporate and business partners,” said SocialBox.Biz Founder Peter Paduh. Corporate partners and their ongoing participation.
In 2016 SocialBox.biz Chairman, Peter Paduh whilst launching a new initiative put in place by SocialBox.biz said “This is an exciting time. We provide a holistic approach where everyone wins. As a social venture, we deliver a new generation of solutions to many pressing business issues and turn them into opportunities for local communities.
In 2017 SocialBox.Biz’s founder, Peter Paduh, said “It’s about bettering our communities and societies by taking the laptops some view as no longer needed and giving them to the people who need them the most. We are leveraging Twitter as a tool to make this possible for us. Please consider re-tweeting our updates to your business community.”
SocialBox.Biz | Peter Paduh Profile
Peter Paduh, founder at SocialBox.Biz, arrived at Heathrow Airport as a Bosnian refugee at the age of 15. From there, he spent time in a children’s home and with a foster family. When he received a secondhand laptop as a gift, things changed. He connected with the world around him in a whole new way, taking advantage of educational and career opportunities that forever shaped his life.
Now, he’s on a mission to give back. Through the Laptops for the Vulnerable Initiative, SocialBox.Biz collects old, unused, but still working technology, uploads open source software, and gives laptops to those in need, including older adults, the homeless, and asylum seekers.
Recently, Peter was featured on The Rooftop for his diligent efforts in urging companies to join the cause. So far, companies such as Regus have joined forces as collection partners, and SocialBox.Biz has working relationships with organisations including Age UK London and New Horizon Youth Centre.
Peter also speaks at conferences and workshops to encourage ans inspire others to give back. He recently joined CBI tasks force on helping families in hardship and spoke at CBI on digital inclusion and the larger scope of his initiative’s objectives.
Whether he’s partnering with charity organisations or corporations looking to boost social and community initiatives, Peter is always working to give back to those around him with the same technology that forever shaped his life.
https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/its-time-to-take-action-on-digital-exclusion/
Partner with SocialBox.Biz ( Updated April 2020 )
Our 2020 goal to donate 1,000 laptops to the homeless has been reached in April 2020, and we won’t stop there. If your organisation is interested in a social giving project that has already produced results and still has plenty of room for growth, then we invite you to join our cause so that together we can help 1000s !
As our processes and procedures for donation handover digital inclusion platform developed over the last 5 years SocialBox.Biz we now have the systems that can help thousands of disadvantage people.
Additional Quotes ( update )
12th April 2020, Peter Paduh, Founder of SocialBox.Biz, said:“This is something we have been doing for many years, trying to help those who have nothing like the homeless and refugees get back on their feet those already living in isolation such as older people on small pensions and now with the country under lock downs, many people who previously relied on human contact are now left further isolated. From older people to young refugees, hundreds of thousands are in need. “IT has never been more critical to our mental health and every firm can help plug the gap.”
– A computer provides access to loved ones without that physical contact during this crises.
– my initiative provides computers to empower vulnerable disadvantaged people to gain access to the internet, to enable and to promote the principle of self determination via the access to internet.
— People are able to socialize online with their community, friends and family, order basic life necessities like groceries, for some people who are already isolated like the orderly this is the only contact with outside world.
Gio Valdez, Social Impact Projects Leader at SocialBox.Biz said: ‘ ‘Our team is working on donating thousands of laptops by 2030 as part of the Laptops for Homeless and Vulnerable Initiative. With our donation boxes, not only are individuals donating laptops, but they are also donating business suits and attire, shoes, other IT items, and more. Partnering with great British companies has allowed us to widen the scope of our mission.
– We are collaborating with corporations, businesses, and organizations to provide laptops to disadvantaged people during crises and beyond. So many people are digitally excluded from the functioning world today. There are thousands of older people on low incomes who cannot afford to buy a computer for home use but who could benefit from having one. Our goal is to collect as many no longer need but still useful laptops as possible, and re-home them
to the people who need them most.
November 18 2020
Harriet Walker, Sustainability Executive from Mazars said: “At Mazars we are committed to ensuring that as little of our waste as possible, goes to landfill. Through partnering with SocialBox.Biz, and donating over 1,000 items of hardware from our offices across the UK, we have contributed towards their Laptops for Homeless, Refugees, and Older People in Isolation campaign. We are proud to support such a worthwhile initiative, and pleased that we could give our items a second lease of life!”
November 18 2020
Theo Blackwell, London’s Chief Digital Officer said: “Access to a PC or device to get online for those who can’t afford one is a very real need for many vulnerable Londoners, especially during the pandemic. I’m pleased that City Hall can support SocialBox.Biz’s work in this area whilst also reducing our electronic waste.”
Peter Paduh, founder of SocialBox.Biz, said: “This is something we have been doing for meany years to help those who have nothing get back on their feet and reconnect with the word. The recent crises has rammed home the need for digital exclusion to be prioritized. I’m really pleased to work with government and business leaders in London who get how important this is too.”
According to Age UK London, more than half (51%) of digitally excluded people are over the age of 65.
The team at Age UK London commented during C19 crisis: “The current situation is shedding light on the need for people to be connected and informed through the internet and being online is a lifeline now more than ever.”
Abigail Wood, Age UK London CEO, said:
“The laptops from SocialBox.Biz that we’ve been able to distribute have made a huge difference to the lives of older Londoners receiving them, and helped to tackle social isolation during this difficult time.”
Senior Social Impact Consultant at SocialBox.Biz, Carolyn Williams, said:
“We take for granted that we can go online to catch up with friends and loved ones, or do our shopping from the safety of our homes. This luxury is not afforded to the most vulnerable in society, such as the elderly, those without a home and refugees.
The team at Age UK Wansdsworth said: “We are so grateful to SocialBox.Biz for the devices that we have received. Digital exclusion is a known issue in the older generation, but this has been exacerbated by COVID-19 when access to public computers has been limited and when so many services and activities have moved online. We have been able to deploy these devices in areas of the borough where older people may not have the means to buy their own equipment and have offered support from our team of ‘Digipals’.”
Despite the challenges presented by the c-19 pandemic, SocialBox.Biz was able to deliver on the historic laptop milestone earlier this year (2020). “What SocialBox.Biz is doing today is absolutely remarkable and indicative of what is possible when businesses decide to give back,” said Sam Forsdike at C4WS Homeless project in Central London, “We were honored to be the location of the 1000th laptop handover, and we pledge to continue to change lives with access to electronics today.”
April 15 2020, Simon Francis, Chair of PRCA council, said:
“PR and communications firms are sat on old and un-used IT. This is a perfect opportunity to help those whose isolation is increased because of the C-19 lockdown. “I’d urge every firm to do a quick audit of what they don’t need and get in touch with SocialBox.Biz.”
22nd August 2019, commenting on the Regus and SocialBox.Biz Laptop Donation drive for SocialBox.Biz Laptops for Homeless and Vulnerable initiative launched at a Regus-Spaces site in Camden “I’m glad this is up and running,” said Steve Adams, Councillor for Belsize, London Borough of Camden. “Any help that can be brought through this innovative social initiative is to be welcomed. Well done.”
Transform old, outdated tech into a higher Social Impact and help vulnerable people in isolation.
Recycling is NOT the best way to handle your old tech. Donating to an established cause can help increase sustainability and impact efforts while also making an impact in the community. Discover the SocialBox.Biz today.
Pictures for Social media to support @SociaBoxBiz campaign
SocialBox.Biz launched Laptops for Refugees initiative in Brent, North West London with a laptop handover, at a refugee education network which marked the start of a number of laptop handovers to charities already working with refugees.
London Borough of Brent Councillor Anton Georgiou said:
Everyone deserves access to the tools to enable them to achieve their full potential. The work being done by SocialBox.Biz, is leading the way with initiatives like “Laptops for the Homeless and Vulnerable.”
Councillor David van der Burg, Green Party, Haydock ward, St Helens MBC said:
I should be delighted to add my name. Digital inclusion is incredibly important, and by reusing equipment you are helping to reduce waste and other environmental impacts.
Kind regards
Cllr Dinah Barry, a former London borough of Enfield Councillor said:
The work Socialbox.biz does benefits everyone: those who donate know they have put something they no longer need to good use, those who do the upgrades learn and develop valuable skills and of course those who receive the laptops and tablets are once more able to see and speak to their loved ones, ending the misery of loneliness and isolation. Finally we all benefit – less damage is done to our environment because fewer resources are taken from the planet. As one of my residents wrote: “I was particularly pleased to know that reconditioned laptops are going to be available to those in need. So many of my older friends have never joined the computer and internet generation. Now is definitely the time to learn new skills. They are at an extreme disadvantage otherwise.”
UK Politicians Across Parties Working Together to Fight Social Exclusion with Re-used Tech
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, October 13, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — These days, anyone without digital access is a second-class citizen. And for Britain’s most deprived people this lack of access is another barrier to their getting back on their feet. And yet all over the UK there are thousands of computers that have been replaced by newer models, just sitting in storerooms. Although they are not the most up to date, these machines can be reused to change people’s lives. That is why local and national politicians are working together to ask large organisations to release their old computers for purposeful reuse.
One of the signatories is Lord Chris Fox, Business and Industrial Strategy spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats. He commented: “This is a win – win for organisations. It helps them to meet their sustainability goals and it help change people’s lives for the better. That is why politicians of different parties are working together with other leaders to fight social exclusion through re-used tech. “
SocialBox.Biz, a London-based community interest company and technology venture that hosts the ‘laptops for the homeless and elderly initiative,’ announced they have teamed up with local British politicians to bridge the digital divide during Covid-19. House of Lords and Local Elected Members across parties signed a letter to help to extend their initiative that places working reused laptops with open source software into the hands of those in accommodation services. SocialBox.Biz is highlighting the importance of digital inclusion now more than ever.
Cllr Paul Swaddle, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Community Services and Digital, said: “Lockdown has only emphasised the importance of technology and demonstrated how it can truly offer a lifeline for the most vulnerable people in our society. “
This initiative from SocialBox.Biz will provide more people with digital access than ever before – all in an environmentally friendly way, by reusing old equipment. For older people, having access to a tablet or a laptop will help combat loneliness and isolation, a concern which is particularly pressing during the pandemic. “The scheme will also allow many unemployed people to re-train and learn new skills – helping people to apply for and secure new jobs.”
SocialBox.Biz is working to hit additional 1000s of laptops handover milestones in the coming years and provide access to skills. Several other causes are reaching out to SocialBox.Biz daily to enquire about available laptops for their clients in need of digital inclusion in isolation. Laptops for the Homeless and Vulnerable Initiative needs your support, now more than ever. Please contact SocialBox.Biz today!
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Notes to editors
SocialBox.Biz is a community interest company (CIC) improving the local community by providing innovative tech solutions. For many years, SociaBox.Biz has been helping those who can not afford any kind of computer. This phenomenon has become known as Digital Inclusion.
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Items that we accept
November 2020 Case Studies Update:
March 2021- BBC Interview and other media updates:
Earth Day 2023 laptop handover at The Passage and Migrant Help charity event celebrating refugees success stories in the UK.
SocialBox.Biz Laptop photos of the kit being handed over to The Passage team ( received 31 July 2023 )
SocialBox.Biz – 2024 update
Companies can now solve their impact problems and reduce scope 3 emissions from old tech by sponsor additional students, basic computer classes and tech labs for older people living on small pensions and refugees integrating into British society, please contact us to discuss further: https://www.socialbox.biz/corporate-impact/
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