shareIT Rental Scheme

Inspiration

Currently, the British Government is providing free laptops to children in need but this is insufficient (150,000). An estimated 9% of families in the UK do not have a laptop, desktop or tablet at home. It is also found that a large proportion of people discard their fully working devices simply because they want something new. We were inspired to find a solution for the fully working devices that are unused or to be discarded.

What it does

We come up with a grassroots campaign that aims to encourage the wider public to take part in reducing e-waste. The scheme provides underprivileged students with digital learning devices. First, the children’s guardian submits an application which will go through our eligibility screening. After it has been approved, the guardian will sign a contract. Meanwhile, the donor with a spare device can sign up online. He/she will receive instructions to reset the device and post it to us. Our QC team will check the device, repackage it and send it to the children in need. After the rental period, the device will be sent back to us and can benefit another family.

How I built it

We plan to build a website for online applications and get a solicitor to draft a contract for us. We will then advertise it via collaborations with local schools and city councils.

Challenges I ran into

It took us some time to decide whether to run a campaign or a business. We later decided to run a campaign so that we can reach the people who are most likely to need these devices.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

We are proud of creating this campaign idea!

What I learned

"Practicality", "impact" and "future development" are the keys to an effective campaign.

What's next for shareIT Rental Scheme

Our next steps would be:

• get a solicitor to draft a contract;
• set up a website for online applications;
• approach medium/ large sized entities that may have spare devices from recent upgrades;
• get quotes from courier delivery service companies;
• appeal for volunteers: coordinator, QC checker, technician; and
• advertise via collaborations with local schools and city councils

Built With

• website