Name of the project and Sub-Objective of the PEOPLE project

JAMIE'S COMPUTERS – EVERYBODY ONLINE

Social & E-inclusion (SO4)

Jamie's Computers is a charitable organisation that provides training and employment opportunities to socially excluded adults in Southampton, through business enterprise. They

receive redundant computers from local businesses and homes, which they refurbish and make available for re-use. Jamie's Computers is a division of Southampton's largest homelessness

charity, The Society of St James.

Objectives of the project

The objective of Jamies Computers is to re-use and recycle old IT. The charity is able to sell these at low cost to local households who are in receipt of state

benefits. Microsoft products can be installed on to a PC for a minimal charge as the project is registered as a Microsoft Approved Recycler (MAR).

Other machines are checked, boxed and shipped off to the developing world.

Beneficiaries (involved & concerned)

Individuals and families on state benefits gain access to low cost refurbished computers;

High quality Volunteering opportunities are created; City achieves improved environmental outcomes;

Developing nations.

Results of the project

Laptops and PC’s being made available to local people, reduced levels of IT going into landfill.

Strengths of the project

Environmental benefits; Some of the costs covered by income generated from sales;

Good volunteering and training opportunities for vulnerable adults.

Success factors of the project

The income from recycling comes through high volumes of relatively low value items. The project therefore needs to be dealing with tonnes of equipment per

month in order to break even.

Problems encountered

• Old IT has a commercial value, especially as the price of metals increases in world commodity markets. The project is therefore competing with commercial firms for the old IT;

• There is also a credibility problem over the safe destruction of the data on hard drives. Many companies will not let the project have the equipment for security reasons;

• It is also difficult to make the project financially self sufficient without state aid;• Low income families need support in using PC’s for the first time. However, this time is costly

to provide and can threaten the viability of the project.

Conclusions (for the future)

After several years of trading, we are close to achieving a self sustaining project. We have better quality equipment coming into the project and are more business

like in dealing with it. We are aiming at being a high volume activity in order to has as much impact as possible and to be viable.

Replication of the project

The project could be replicated, but would need 3-4 years of subsidy before achieving a viable project.