Tech Rescue: Baking digital inclusion into community e-waste action

Thanks to National Lottery players, Tech Rescue has received £1,497,312 from the Climate Action Fund, a long-term commitment from The National Lottery Community Fund to support communities across the UK to act on climate change and involve more people in positive environmental action.

According to Material Focus research, there are over 188 million disused digital devices held onto in UK homes and the programme aims to repurpose 8,500 devices directly to households across the UK, helping to fix the digital divide through long term, sustainable action. 

To build local community access for device reuse across the UK, we are collaborating with 12 regional ‘Tech Rescue Hubs’. Screen Share, Born Good, and Recognition Circular are also serving as dedicated 'co-design hubs' to ensure the project is shaped by the communities it serves. The co-design hubs will then be joined by: Tech Skills for Life, PCrefurb, RecycleIT, Refurbit, Repair & Share Foyle, Turing Trust, Tech-Takeback Foundation, Donate IT and a soon to be announced partner in Wales. Together, we are driving cross-sector action to bake device reuse into digital inclusion initiatives, including a public campaign launch in 2027. 

Natasha Early, Senior Programme Manager (Tech Rescue), Good Things Foundation said: 

"Tech Rescue isn't just another campaign; it's about building a sustainable, community-led infrastructure that ensures device reuse is baked into regional digital inclusion initiatives, not bolted on. Through our collaboration with the 12 exemplar Tech Rescue Hubs, we will create clear, local, and impactful roadmaps for everyone - individuals and organisations—to turn their disused technology into a lifeline for those experiencing digital exclusion."

Dr. Jeanette D’Arcy, Senior Research Associate, University of Liverpool, said: 

"Our role is to listen and learn throughout the project to ensure we fully understand how to make the biggest difference. By keeping technology in use for longer and fixing the digital divide, we are proving that we can reduce waste and support social equality through proven, practical solutions."

Vanessa Gibbin, Director of Marketing, Communications and Behaviour change, Material Focus said: 

“Millions of usable devices sit hidden in drawers across the UK while people are being left behind in an increasingly digital world.  With Tech Rescue, we are building a localised, sustainable model that turns unwanted tech into a lifeline for people who need it most.”

For more on Tech Rescue, visit our information page.