Castle Douglas technology charity eyes expansion after high demand for new service
dailyrecord.co.ukA Castle Douglas technology charity is eyeing up expansion plans after experiencing high demand for a new service. The IT Centre only opened its new refurbishment suite last week to up-cycle used mobiles, laptops and tablets.
The project has environmental and social benefits – cutting landfill while providing devices to those in need. But the scale of the response from donors and recipients has manager Jackie Williams contemplating an upgrade – only days after launching the scheme.
She told the News: “We are working with South of Scotland Enterprise to put together a business plan to expand what we are doing. “We need to see if there’s potential to do that because it would involve taking on more people. “Things are at a very early stage – we have only had one meeting. “But there is nobody else in Dumfries and Galloway that is doing the same thing.” Jackie added: “There has definitely been an increase in demand for refurbished devices due to the cost of living crisis. “We have been encouraged by the number of items donated by the public and the people who are receiving them. “Since we started, we have already refurbished 240 items.” Requests to the IT Centre have included referrals from the local NHS public health improvement team and social work mental health charities.
Demand for devices has also come from refugee charity MOOL and the Dumfries and Galloway resettlement team supporting displace Ukrainians.
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