NDA helps local communities stay connected
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority helps tackle digital exclusion by donating surplus mobile phones, iPads, laptops and monitors to schools and charities.
NDA employee Ryan Winthrop and Steve Robson from Women's Community Matters
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is helping to tackle digital exclusion by donating surplus mobile phones, iPads, laptops and monitors to schools and charities across North West England.
The refurbished devices are enabling children and adults to access education, essential support and information services, stay in touch with family and friends, and stay connected to the networks they rely on.
Since 2021, the NDA has donated over 1,500 devices to around 50 schools and charities across Cumbria, Lancaster, Warrington and Manchester including Northwest Blood Bikes and Royal Air Force Air Cadets.
NDA employee and Blood Bike Volunteer Simon Barker
NDA Group Chief Operating Officer, Frank Rainford, said:
What makes this initiative particularly special is the role our employees play in identifying the organisations that could benefit most, drawing on their local knowledge and connections within the communities they live and work in.
As an organisation rooted in towns and regions across the UK, we have a responsibility not only to deliver our mission, but also to support the people and places around us. It reflects our commitment to creating lasting social value for future generations.
In the last two and half years the NDA has donated around 200 mobile phones to a large residential care provider supporting children and young people with special educational needs and additional needs across the North West.
Access to these devices has helped the children stay connected with family members and professionals, engage with educational resources, and develop important digital and communication skills.
The phones have also provided practical support for young people who may otherwise experience barriers to communication, helping to increase their independence, confidence, and sense of inclusion.
Debbie Reid, a therapist working within the residential care provider, said:
The donated mobile phones have made a real difference to some of the children and young people in our care. Many of the young people we support have additional needs and can struggle with communication, social connection, and accessing opportunities.
Having access to a mobile phone has helped them stay connected with important people in their lives, develop independence, and engage more confidently with education and the wider community. We are extremely grateful for the donation and the positive impact it has had on the young people we support.
Recently the NDA also donated over 130 old iPhones to Women’s Community Matters in Barrow, South Cumbria, a charity providing practical and emotional support to women and girls including support with domestic abuse, mental health and financial aid.
Some are being used by staff, saving the charity money on purchasing new devices and enabling them to contact clients by text and WhatsApp which is better for those with limited access to phones, for example victims of domestic abuse.
The majority went directly to clients affected by domestic abuse, struggling with mental health, or experiencing the criminal justice system, or young people struggling with their mental health and family life.
Find out more and hear from our staff here: Tackling digital exclusion through community connections.