While Rye Mutual Aid (RMA) continues to support the vulnerable in 21 zones from Westfield to Camber, and to provide information to help people get through Covid lockdowns, from time to time we have taken on additional projects to help the community.
These have included the effort in Rye and District to distribute face coverings, provide toys at Christmas and out of school term time lunches, arrange on line cookery events, and even by finding a freezer for someone who badly needed one!
However, since hearing more about the “digital divide” from national news and Rother Voluntary Action, RMA set about finding computers for local schoolchildren who have no IT learning support. Through contacts with the schools in the area we established what was needed and we then spent time looking at what was necessary before second hand machines were suitable for handing to children, and at who was going to prepare the hard drives and PAT test the electrics.
This all took time and effort and concurrently, there was fundraising, securing grants and accepting some generous individual donations. Around 42 second hand machines were collected in and then supplemented with 12 purchased computers and in all RMA has amassed some 54 computers.
These are being distributed to schools in the villages, and to Rye Primary and Rye College. In such a short time, most will agree that this is a good effort and one that can be built on for future supply. Special thanks must go to Caroline, Jenny and Bruni of the RMA Central Team.
All of us at RMA ask that if anyone has surplus computers, pads or gaming machines, then do please contact us via the website or Facebook page. We will ensure that any equipment donated is quickly processed via the schools to children who need them. Help us to help local young people who need computers for distance learning.
