Pupils at a village primary school now have the technology to take their learning further thanks to a generous donation.
Turton and Edgworth CE Methodist Primary School pupils received 15 new desktop computers and 16 new tablets to help with their learning this week.
The money was raised in part by Alex Wilkinson, Bolton resident and head of government for Microsoft, and also by the Turton and Edgworth Parents, Teachers and Friends Association.
Alex ran 50km in December, raising more than £6,000 for the school, including match funding from Microsoft.
The school had 15 computers between 244 students when she decided to start the fundraising, but it now has enough for a full class to have a computer each during their IT lessons.
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Alex said: “My son went to Turton and Edgworth School. Myself and Craig (headteacher) were having a discussion about the aging kit at the school, and I realised the Microsoft partnership with Computers 4 Charity could help.”
Set up by Microsoft in 2007, Computers 4 Charity are a charity that provide computers and technology to those who need it across 36 different countries.
It helped the school to source the new computers and tablets.
Alex continued: “We all at Microsoft get match funding to help our local communities however we see fit.
“Digital technology for the school is what I did, as technology is so important to children nowadays.”
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George Cook, Honorary Chief Executive at Computers 4 Charity, said: “This is dramatically improving and increasing schools’ access to IT that they otherwise would have been excluded from.”
“It’s also the environmental benefit. By refurbishing and upgrading older computers, we can take today’s machines and make them last longer.”
Craig Wheatley, headteacher, said: “We’re all in it for the same reasons. This is all about schools not having enough money, not having capacity to provide these types of things.
“This has come about because parents have had to take matters into their own hands.”
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Year Six Turton and Edgworth students, Georgia Dunford and Thomas Scott, said: “We think the computers are going to make a massive difference to every single lesson for all classes.”
To learn more about Computers 4 Charity’s work, visit their website: https://www.computers4charity.org/.
For more information about Turton and Edgworth, visit their website: https://www.turtonandedgworthprimary.co.uk/
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