FreeIT - Stafford.

FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
We're super lucky to work alongside some genuinely community spirited businesses.
Respects to Ace Computers for offering us all their unsaleable and surrendered gear
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FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
We have huge aspirations for our project, from charity status to premises, to employees, volunteer opportunities and employability skills, and anything else we can squeeze out of our bigger potential.
Many of you have suggested grant funding to fuel our growth, and we definitely fit the bill for quite a few of the available grants. Eligibility (even without a charity number) would not be a concern.
But, none of us are experienced in writing bids or dealing with funders and their formalities, we're aware that wording is key, and even for any of us to begin to learn about all that stuff and compose something that will stand out, takes time and resources. In addition, grants tend to be one-off or short term, so we'd have to reapply for those year on year in order to sustain them.
More notably, grant funders are reluctant to provide support for schemes which are already established with one mission in mind, they prefer an organisation to present a new modus operandi, or an innovation, or a plan for a large expenditure, a building extension, forming a new help group, that sort of thing. We'd struggle to compete with other applicants on that basis alone.
We favour a sponsorship model because there is minimal administration for both parties, and as sponsors tend to give to a non-profit that they themselves have chosen through personal validation, as opposed to having to select one based on an appealing bid, we can keep focussing our resources on doing exactly what we're doing, and be confident of their lasting support.
As a corporate sponsor to our project, you'll enable us not only to do more of what we do, but to grow as a consequence. You can be sure we'll promote your brand while your payment is recurring, on every laptop and PC that we rehome, and on all of our socials. Your logo will be seen by hundreds, if not thousands of eyes.
There's no small print or contracts, if you choose to opt out just cease your payment.
We could never have grown to the point we have so far, and become almost eligible to step on to the first proverbial rung of that aspirations ladder, without the kind support of local businesses who appreciate what we do and are who keen to boast their support for what has become a highly demanded, invaluable community scheme.
 

FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
To date, we've rehomed 742 of your unwanted and broken:
- 387 Laptops, macbooks, netbooks
- 248 Desktop PC, AIO, iMac
- 107 iPads, Android tablets
To places where they were desperately needed
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FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
During the course of our work, inevitably we'll find there is equipment that's just too far gone. Up until now we've been dismantling those and cashing in our scrap metals, but we've since discovered a less time consuming solution, which also will allow us to give a little back to other charities.
We're pleased to have teamed up with www.eee4.co.uk in Fenton, who take bulk scrap electricals and turn them into day jobs and employability skills opportunities for local disadvantaged people.
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/...dR2Fhj1OlDv7I7KbUR8vcSkkTmCK8e3qsXjG3WmB7XlZ4
 

FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
Please keep in mind when dropping off equipment, that we don't have the storage capacity or resources to save everything, much as it pains us.
Our friendship with eee4 is more for us to call upon when we've tried and failed to repair an item for rehoming. Sadly it doesn't mean that we can begin to accept all sorts to be passed on.

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FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
Welcome onboard to our newest corporate sponsor, your friendly local multi-skilled multi-gadget 'Tech Guy'.
Tim The Tech Guy has helped us out with countless repairs already but has now opted to become a part of our sponsored advertising plan, to offset some of our other running costs and replacement parts. The 'Tech Guy' company details will now be added to the background on every PC and laptop that we rehome
πŸ™‚

https://www.facebook.com/staffordtechguy
To find out how your business can join in, visit the 'sponsors' page on our website at www.freeitstafford.org

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FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
* Here's a lovely success story, please have a read and share in our happy Saturday vibes *
You might not realise that us volunteer tech guys have been doing what we do as a rugged, close-knit team for near on 10 years, before we became constituted and branded as our own entity in 2021.
The numbers we quote now are since 2021, if we counted all the equipment we'd previously supplied, we'd be in the thousands!
We've been honoured to help out the brilliant team at Cerebral Palsy Mid Staffordshire many times over the last 5 or 6 years and we have a great rapport.
We've upgraded and PAT tested their internet cafe at Northfields, and supplied personal gadgets for their digitally isolated clients.
So, when they approached us with this lady's situation, we couldn't wait to be involved
πŸ™‚

This is Christina, who's being mentored by CPMS. Digitally isolated, disadvantaged, and bewildered by the terminology of modern tech, she was looking for a simple way to be able to join in with online activities. She asked CPMS for guidance, and they knew exactly who to call
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Within days of hearing the circumstances, we'd sprung in to action. We had the ideal candidate, this sleek Windows 11 Lenovo laptop which we'd upgraded with a modern SSD drive and RAM using your kind cash donations, making it quick loading, snappy in operation, and reliable.
We tweaked the display settings, making it crystal clear and accessible for Christina, and since she was used to using Microsoft Office software, we bought a license for her and installed that too.
And here's the result!
Another one saved from e-waste and given a new lease of life!
Thanks so much to CPMS for the heads-up, for allowing us to reach these corners of society we'd otherwise miss

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FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
In talking to potential sponsors, it's been pointed out that although we promote our PayPal link relentlessly, it's more aimed at one-off payments from other PayPal accounts or one-time-purchase through cards, and is not really an accessible option to some businesses. That could be resulting in us missing out on other opportunities where a business may prefer an auditable standing order.

Point is duly noted, and we would like to use this prompted opportunity as a reminder that we also have a charitable main stream bank account with Unity Trust Bank. We welcome regular payments there too, please drop us a line if you are considering sponsoring us and that's swayed your decision
πŸ™‚


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FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
Exciting times lie ahead, as we're in early talks with prominent YouTubers in the tech industry, who have a combined audience of nearly 100,000 subscribers, and who have offered to put our project in front of all those people. The exposure we're set to gain will be unprecedented to us.
We're keen to work with any content creators who like what we do and would be interested in collaboration or mutual publicity :)
Linus, we're coming for you next :)
 

FreeITstafford

Well-Known Forumite
Huge thanks to everyone who's paid for this, to our sponsors for paying the rent, to the very kind anonymous donor who took care of our deposit, and everyone who chipped in to help us buy racking! It's all still a bit of a mess, call it a "work in progress", but the important thing to us was that we had somewhere to put all the fragile stuff away from harm and our own dining rooms, and that donations which have sensitive data can be securely stored until we work our magic. It may be just a metal box but to us it's our first communal space, a testament to your generous support which has gotten us to this point, and something we desperately needed but simply couldn't afford otherwise πŸ™‚

> Click here to see our new secure storage unit, funded by your kind donations!
 
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