If the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted anything it is that there still exists a large equality issue within society surrounding education. Lack of access to devices used for learning at home is a big issue in the age of home schooling, indeed Ofcom estimates that around 9% of UK children do not have access to a laptop or desktop device at home.

This was also the case for a handful of young people on the Bristol Bears Community Foundation and Premiership Rugby HITZ programme, some of this year’s cohort were forced into completing their work and assignments on their mobile phones – making learning more difficult.

HITZ is Premiership Rugby’s award-winning education and employability programme which works with over 2,000 14 to 18-year-olds across England every year. BBCF have been delivering the HITZ programme for two years and have worked with around 30 participants during this time. 

We are extremely thankful, therefore, for the charitable contribution that we received from Bristol based company Heat Recruitment who recently donated a number of laptops for the students on the HITZ programme to use to help enhance their learning experience.

Nick George, HITZ Officer & Camps Manager at Bristol Bears Community Foundation, said: “Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic students on our HITZ programme have had to adapt to learning online, which has been a challenge for some as they have only had access to a mobile phone or via telephone calls.

“This generous donation will ensure that these students will have access to a laptop regardless of them working from home or onsite. On behalf of the HITZ group, I would like to thank Heat Recruitment, this will have a significant impact on ensuring that the young people get the most benefit from being on the programme.”

Steve Preston, Managing Director at Heat Recruitment, said: “Community is an important component to us at Heat, especially in these current times. Giving back and supporting each other wherever possible is one of our passions and commitments, especially enhanced, thanks to our close relationship with the Bristol Bears Community Foundation. 

“Recently at Heat we have been able to assist the foundation by donating laptops to local children to aid their ability to learn and partake in school lessons and help shape them for their full potential.  We all play a vital role in the development of children and we want to take a leading role in giving back to the community with this support.

“While we deeply care for our customers, we strongly believe that we must help the youngest and most vulnerable and come to together to all have a better and brighter future”.

Paul Glanville, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Bristol Sport Foundation said ‘Many thanks to HEAT for the generous donation, we cannot solve this issue overnight, but each donated device makes a real difference and is very much appreciated. Please contact me to find out how your organisation can make a donation to this important appeal and how we match every donation with clearly identified urgent need throughout Greater Bristol’

About the Foundation’s Digital Inclusion Project: As part of our wider ‘Digital Transformation Project’ we are acutely aware that there are families within our communities who do not have access to a device that supports our content. To address this, our digital inclusion offering works with the support of our corporate partners who donate devices that we prepare for community use, pre-loaded with the BSF app and web app. Using our extensive community network, we identify families in the most urgent need and donate the devices for use.

We cannot solve this issue overnight, but each donated device makes a real difference and is very much appreciated.  Please contact paul.glanville@bristol-sport.co.uk to find out how your organisation can make a donation to this important appeal and how we match every donation with clearly identified urgent need throughout Greater Bristol