WIREDGOV

Digital exclusion in the UK is not an abstract policy problem. It is a daily constraint.

It is the child who cannot complete her homework. The jobseeker who cannot fill out an application. The carer cut off from vital services because their phone is shared, outdated, or broken.

It is also solvable – but only when national intent meets local delivery.

At the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA), we work with local authorities and community organisations to design and deliver secure, effective device donation schemes. We provide the operational backbone – handling collection, certified data erasure, refurbishment, and distribution – so partners can focus on reaching the people they serve.

As the UK Government’s appointed lead for its national device donation programme, announced in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, the DPA combines strategic oversight with practical delivery experience.

Partnership in action

In Ealing, the council worked with the DPA to establish a borough-wide scheme inviting residents to donate unused and unwanted devices. With the DPA managing the technical delivery – secure collection, refurbishment, and redistribution – the council was able to focus on public engagement and local outreach. As Louisa McDonald, Head of Cost of Living at Ealing Council, explained:

“In an ever-growing digital world, Ealing Council is focused on supporting our residents to get online. Working alongside the Digital Poverty Alliance on the recent device donation scheme has played a part in helping us achieve that. By asking our residents to donate unused and unwanted devices, we have been able to refurbish them and give them to those who until now have been digitally excluded.”

In the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the DPA supported delivery of a local initiative designed to improve digital access for residents who would otherwise go without. Reflecting on the project’s outcomes, Khadra Ibrahim, Community Development and Careers Manager, observed:

“Being part of the Digital Poverty Alliance project has been incredibly positive. Donating devices to residents has significantly impacted their lives for the better. It has been a joy to contribute to this project, which has made a real difference in residents’ lives and supported the local community.”

Both partnerships were rooted in a simple idea: councils know where the need is, and the DPA provides the means to meet it – securely, efficiently, and at scale.

What we offer

Many local authorities and delivery organisations are ready to act but do not have the internal infrastructure to operate a secure, end-to-end device donation scheme.

That is where the DPA comes in.

We manage:

• Secure collection and logistics
• Certified data erasure
• Refurbishment to a reliable, usable standard
• Responsible redistribution through local partners

We also advise on programme design, communications, risk management, and monitoring – ensuring every initiative is credible, deliverable, and built to last.

As Elizabeth Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the DPA, affirms: “Access to a digital device is not a luxury. It is a gateway to opportunity – yet one that remains closed to far too many.

Our role is to support councils and community organisations to remove that barrier. We provide the systems, safeguards and delivery infrastructure to make these schemes work – so that local leaders can act with speed, confidence, and purpose.”

Get involved

If your organisation is delivering – or planning to deliver – a local device donation initiative, we are ready to help you make it work.

And if you are an individual or organisation with devices to donate, you will find everything you need to get started here.

Digital exclusion is real – but with the right collaboration in place, it can be addressed. Effectively. Sustainably. And together.