Dukinfield's ZenTec Network Solutions has donated 20 laptops worth £4,015 to Home-Start HOST - a local charity based at Ryecroft Hall in Audenshaw.

The charity helps families with young children to flourish during the early years of early childhood.

Laptops will be going to family support and help with reducing isolation in the community.

They will help parents back into work and provide online support for families called Play, Learn, and Grow. 

The charity is always looking to recruit volunteers to work two to three hours a week, if anyone is interested, they can contact Michelle Hine on 0161 344 0669.

The latest donation is part of a continuing campaign by the firm.

Back in October 2020, ZenTec was inundated with requests to fix old laptops and to purchase cheap laptops as the prices had increased dramatically due to Covid; parents were struggling to purchase new devices for their children to do their online lessons, and not all schools had the facilities to provide a laptop to every student. 

The technical director Mike Brooks and business development director Cerid Grimshaw realised as a company they needed to do everything they could to help reduce the digital divide which was so clearly highlighted during lockdown.

ZenTec Network Solutions is an IT support and solutions company based in Dukinfield with the knowledge and skills to be able to refurbish laptops.

They launched their campaign back in 2020 by asking for donations of old laptops through their social media channels and spoke to the companies they already worked with to ask for help.

Before they knew it people were calling and emailing to donate their old devices and some even posted their donations from all over the country. Companies collected them on their behalf, and they spent days collecting tech from anyone willing to help.

To date, ZenTec Network Solutions has donated more than £100,000 worth of tech to primary schools and charities in and around the north west to help the most vulnerable in society. Their mission is to reduce isolation, combat loneliness and keep the community together through Covid by reducing the digital divide.

They have now launched a Christmas appeal too, asking that if people receive new tech for Christmas that they consider donating their old tech so that they can continue to help as many people as possible, and if companies are looking to upgrade their systems in the new year that they keep ZenTec in mind.

They ask that laptops are Windows 7 and above. They don’t have to be fully functioning as they can refurbish and get them working again.

If anyone would like to help either by donating their old tech or would like to host a fundraising event or need help themselves, then please get in touch on 0161 359 3986, donations@zentecns.co.uk or via the website www.zentecns.co.uk 

ZenTec recently received two large donations of laptops and desktops from DSN and Career Connect, two charities that have upgraded their infrastructure and wanted to help, and this is how they were able to carry out today’s donation.

DSN provides a wide range of support and services for people with sensory loss across the north west of England and North Wales.

Career Connect operate across the north west and help young people and adults realise their potential and contribute to social mobility.

ZenTec would like to thank everyone that has helped them so far and in particular Joshua Tindall, a 15-year-old boy from West Hill School in Stalybridge, who has given up his free time during holidays and at weekends to get laptops ready to help others. 

During his time at ZenTec he has learnt how to diagnose faults and how to refurbish a range of devices, skills that will help him in his future career.

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