Tesco Mobile and Crisis help homeless reconnect with society
Tesco Mobile is partnering with charity Crisis for two years to shine a light on the impact of digital exclusion on homelessness.
It will donate £700,000 worth of phones, devices and connectivity in the first year of the tie up. The public will also be able to get involved in the campaign by providing their old smartphone or donating directly to Crisis.
This forms part of Tesco Mobile’s Reconnects initiative, which, between now and 2023, will see over £2.4 million worth of phones, devices and connectivity donated to help 13,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged people reconnect with society. A figure it hopes to double through public fundraising.
Tom Denyard, CEO at Tesco Mobile, says: “We believe passionately that everyone has the right to be connected and that mobile connection brings us all closer to other people, to society, and provides access to essential services.’
“For many people living without a permanent home, digital connection is a necessary lifeline. An important part of our partnership with Crisis will be in helping to deliver connectivity to those who need it most.”
Tesco Mobile will also work with Crisis to develop its services, supporting people on their journey out of homelessness.
Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive at Crisis, says: "We're delighted to be partnering with Tesco Mobile at such a crucial point in time as we move out of lockdown. Access to a phone or to the internet has been vital for so many people throughout the pandemic to stay connected, yet it's something we know people experiencing homelessness often don’t have, and this adds to feelings of isolation and anxiety."
“As thousands of people have been moved in from sleeping on our streets to hotels, we have been ensuring that we can continue to be there by adapting our services. A lack of digital connection has become a huge challenge for our frontline services today.”
“During lockdown, we provided 1,000 mobile phones to clients to ensure they can continue to access support digitally, reconnect with family and friends and find somewhere safe and settled to live online. By working with Tesco Mobile, we will build on this work and ensure a far greater number of people experiencing homelessness across Great Britain can connect with Crisis and other vital services to help them end their homelessness for good."
