Poverty: The Real Issue Behind Digital Inquality

Birmingham's WOW Group of Companies ltd and have teamed up with the Child Poverty Action Group with the aim to provide refurbished devices for less fortunate families.

A third of working-class families are unable to afford a device such as a computer, laptop or tablet, significantly hindering children's education during lockdown. More so, 34% of the UK population had suffered with a complete loss of internet connectivity. As a result, Child Poverty Action Group, WOW Group, REPC ltd and Birmingham Education Partnership to name a few, had got together to form the Connect_In campaign, aimed to provide refurbished donated laptops to 1000 children and families across Birmingham in 12 months.

However, as schools have recommenced teaching on Monday, children may return to school and be at a disadvantage in their education and social life in comparison to their more well-off peers, who used their smart devices on a daily basis. The root of the issue has got nothing to do with devices but poverty. Poverty is an issue which existed a long time before and will exist a long time after and only now has it been pictured so clearly.

Qasim Majid, CEO of WOW Group and initiator of the Connect_In campaign, said:

"it's not the schools job to be begging for laptops; but they are, because they're realising that children are loosing out.

"People understand that poverty exists... but no one really foresaw digital poverty. We were blindsided by it.

As the country starts to reopen, support is needed more than ever, with a greater number of homelessness and foodbank users than previously recorded which is continuously on the rise. in 2015, 54 % of parents in poverty believe their children will have a worse life than their own, which will become true unless more people attempt to combat poverty.

"We need to educate people more that this problem exists, and ensure people don't feel that they are inadequate, that they live in a certain area, or below the poverty line. We continue to shine a spotlight on the situation, we continue to speak to people, we continue to relentlessly pursue government and local people, and use my influence to get the message out there. People understand that poverty exists... but no one really foresaw digital poverty. We were blindsided by it."

Cllr John Cotton said: "Whilst many of us take connectivity for granted, there are young people in our city who are being held back - at school, from employment opportunities, and from the chance to participate properly in our society." which in principal, is caused by the ever-growing gap between the UK's richest and poorest.

Mr Majid went on to say: "We wont be satisfied until the problem has gone away, and the issue is, is that it wont. That's the stark reality of it.

"We have four ways you can help: donate old laptops, donate money towards connectivity, if u see it on social media retweet it, like it spread the word, and that's just as powerful, and fourthly we are looking for volunteers to help.

Your device is an extension of you, how you consume and share media is an extension of you."

For more information and how to donate, visit: wow dot (wow-group.co.uk)