The University of Warwick have joined city partners at Westminster to highlight Coventry’s pioneering work in tackling digital inequality and reducing electronic waste.
A parliamentary event has highlighted the University of Warwick’s pivotal role in tackling digital poverty and reducing electronic waste across Coventry. The University joined Coventry City Council and the NHS Integrated Care Board Coventry and Warwickshire at the Houses of Parliament for the launch of Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s ‘Time After Time Fund Report’.
Coventry’s #CovConnects programme secured funding from the initiative to develop a pioneering digital reuse pilot, repurposing pre-owned tech to reduce digital inequalities across local communities. The project repairs and reuses unwanted IT equipment and distributes refurbished devices to residents who need them, working through community partners and frontline services.
The scheme also provides community-based digital training and support, ensuring residents can access technology in ways that are meaningful and useful to them. Professor Stephanie Panichelli-Batalla, Academic Director for Sustainability at the University of Warwick, said: “The #CovConnects programme reflects the power of collaboration.
“By working together across the city, we can help people get online, cut waste, and reduce carbon emissions. This is the kind of regional leadership universities can offer to support a fairer, more sustainable future.”
The Westminster event celebrated leading digital reuse projects across the UK and shone a spotlight on Coventry’s sustainability achievements through #CovConnects – and the growing partnership between Virgin Media O2, Coventry City Council, the NHS and the University of Warwick. It also marked the launch of the next phase of Coventry City Council and Virgin Media O2’s collaboration, which aims to scale the #CovConnects programme across the city and share its model nationally.
Warwick’s involvement includes support from across the University. Warwick Business School (WBS) students, contributed to business planning and marketing for the scheme, specialists at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) have developed a carbon calculator to demonstrate the environmental benefits of reuse, and multiple departments have been donating laptops.
Warwick is already planning the next steps to support the programmes growth, drawing on the expertise of academic staff and students. Councillor Richard Brown, Coventry City Council, said: “This initiative is closing the digital gap in Coventry by providing devices, connectivity, and training. It is already changing lives and reducing waste.
“Our partnership with the University of Warwick shows what we can achieve when the city works together.” WMG’s Dr Russ Hall and Dr You Wu developed the project’s carbon calculator, which calculates the carbon footprint improvements for the city by using donated devices.
As the tool evolves, it will provide bespoke carbon emission assessments for businesses contributing equipment, alongside localised social impact data. This will help donors monitor and report on the value of their contributions and the role refurbished devices play in supporting community and frontline services to reduce digital inequalities.
Dr Russ Hall, Lead for Sustainable Manufacturing and Circular Economy at WMG and Chair of Coventry’s Circular Pathway, added: “It’s brilliant to see Coventry’s approach recognised nationally, this is a project that shows the true value of sustainability. Reuse and repair have clear economic, social and environmental benefits, and the expansion of this programme will help us tackle digital exclusion at greater scale.”