DIGITAL & DATA FUND
The Digital & Data Fund was created in response to the C-19 pandemic, specifically to a need within the displaced community to connect with their loved ones, schools, and local services. Over the course of April, we heard the same story over and over again of families and individuals living in isolation, unable to contact anyone outside their household. For asylum seekers, it was often a choice between eating and data as financial support for asylum seekers is capped at £5.39 per day.
At the beginning of May 2020, we launched an appeal on Localgiving. Around the same time, The Rayne Foundation made a generous donation of £3k “in response to the Covid 19 pandemic”. With the money raised from this appeal, and from the donation given to us by the Rayne Foundation, we were able to help displaced people in Wales access data and devices. The nature of this project meant that the need far outstripped the supply.
WHAT DID THIS PROJECT FUND BETWEEN MAY 2020 - JULY 2020?
- 60 Smart Phones & Accessories
- 76 Data Packages
- 5 Food Vouchers
- 28 Tablets
- 1 SIM card
UPDATE - AUGUST 2020
We are very happy and grateful to announce that we have received funding from Community Foundation Wales and the National Lottery Resilience Fund to carry on this necessary work during the C-19 pandemic crisis.
Thanks to the Community Foundation Wales ‘Coronavirus Resilience Fund’, we were able to honour all outstanding applications received during the first iteration of this project (funded by The Rayne Foundation and by individual donations via LocalGiving). This work took place over three weeks in August 2020.
UPDATE - MARCH 2021
The latest iteration of this project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, has now ended. If you are in need of a device or data, please scroll down for a list of resources that are available.
We would like to thank the National Lottery Community Fund for their funding which allowed us to distribute the following:
- 164 smart phones
- 284 tablets
- 302 data packages
Other Available Resources for Displaced People in Need
Phone Credit 4 Refugees provides phone credit for refugees, asylum seekers and otherwise displaced people.
Web:
Cardiff Council is able to provide tablets for Cardiff residents who fit the below criteria:
- Those who do not have access to a digital device or broadband at home AND
- Their health and wellbeing is suffering as they feel isolated OR
- They want to access training or look for work online AND
- They are in receipt of benefits or on a low income
To apply for a tablet, eligible Cardiff residents should contact the Adviceline on 029 2087 1071.
More information on their website.
Oasis may be able to help displaced people to access WiFi via a dongle. However, availability is unknown.
Contact: +44 (0)29 2046 0424 / info@oasiscardiff.org
Information still to be confirmed.
