MCRSHAPERS

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Digital Pi Project

Our Digital Pi fundraising project has now come to an end. Thanks to many people’s kind donations, we have raised £1001, which we have used to buy and deliver Raspberry Pi devices to Intouniversity Students!

Below you can find a brief history and some pictures of our project, as well as the Digital Inclusion organisations we have worked with to make this project happen.

First we say thanks...

- Thanks to GMCA Digital for putting together the Digital Taskforce to help collaborative efforts amongst NGOS, businesses and schools to enable digital inclusion in Greater Manchester.

- Thanks to the Raspberry Pi Foundation for the work they continue to do in providing affordable and powerful computers and free training to those wanting to learn coding.

- Thanks to IntoUniversity for guidance on the needs of their students and ideas that we went on to use for our fundraiser.

- Thank you to everyone who got involved in our Euros sweepstake and 100km in 20 days running challenges, your contributions have made a difference to students in your home, Manchester.

Our Projects History

Our project idea was sparked in September 2020 by Flaviu sending a DM on Twitter to the founder of Raspberry Pi Foundation to ask if we could source cost price devices to provide to students who did not have access to computers at home in Manchester, England. They replied that this would be possible, Flaviu explained this opportunity at the following MCR shapers hub meeting and myself, Jenny and Vishal joined the team.

We met up to plan how we can deliver this project and who we would give the devices to. We connected with Intouniversity North Manchester, which supports young people to attain university places and to pursue their career aspirations, who were happy for us to work together to decide the nature of our fundraiser, and so our Digital Pi project was born!

Our Project Goals

We decided the core of our project would be to raise the funds necessary to buy the devices and to deliver them to the students. We also wanted to connect the students with the free learning opportunities that are available online and spotlight local Digital Inclusion work on our social media channels. With details to be decided and research to be done, both these goals seemed achievable and exciting to partake in.

Project Outcome

- Raised £1001, bought and delivered 15 Raspberry Pi 400 devices to IntoUniversity students.

- Promoted the free local online training resources through our social media channels and website.

Our Project team

Flaviu

Jenny

Vishal

Jamie

Why Digital Inclusion matters in Greater Manchester?

Click their logo for more research on the effects of digital exclusion in the UK

The Good Things Research point out: A lack of digital skills and access can have a huge negative impact on a person’s life, leading to poorer health outcomes and a lower life expectancy, increased loneliness and social isolation, less access to jobs and education.

It can mean paying more for essentials, financial exclusion, an increased risk of experiencing poverty. People who are digitally excluded also lack a voice and visibility in the modern world, as government services and democracy increasingly move online.

What’s more, it’s those already at a disadvantage – through age, education, income, disability, or unemployment – who are most likely to be missing out, further widening the social inequality gap.

In 2020, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) identified that there are around 20,000 young people in Greater Manchester schools and colleges that will fall within the gaps of support and be left behind.

Click their logo to see and join their Digital Inclusion Taskforce

Our Project Partners

IntoUniversity North Manchester provides academic support, mentoring and programmes that promote young people’s aspirations. Our project's priority is to raise the money to buy and deliver 20 Digital Pi 400 devices to their students this July. Click their logo to find out more about the great work they do!

The Raspberry Pi 400 is a complete personal computer, built into a compact keyboard, and is significantly cheaper than most of todays computers. This creates an opportunity to connect young student who do not have access to a computer at home to get access by receiving a Raspberry Pi 400.

Click the link to see their products and projects!