Panasonic has also partnered with French and German charities

Panasonic has announced partnerships with three European charities to provide refurbished laptops and tablets to socially disadvantaged families.

Save the Children UK is one of the three charities selected, with the programme aiming to support children’s eLearning. The programme has been introduced to help enable children to have access to eLearning opportunities during the global pandemic.

Panasonic is also working with French charity Apprentis D’Auteuil and German charity Die Arche Kinder Projekt.

The three charities will receive 100 refurbished semi-rugged laptops and handheld devices during a two-year period, with 30 now. The first batch of devices to these charities will have a value of €50,000. In the UK the equipment will be used in Sheffield and Northern Ireland.

Panasonic Europe BV chairman and CEO Junichi Suzuki said: “Access to eLearning with the right equipment is paramount for the growth and development of the next generation. We hope that our contribution will provide additional home-schooling support for those who need it most.”

UK charity partner

In the past two years Save the Children, UK has helped 20,000 children and their families in the country with early learning and development support and the charity welcomes the partnership with Panasonic.

Save the Children UK director of partnerships and philanthropy Sayyeda Salam said: “During the Coronavirus pandemic, families have been relying on digital resources to enable their children’s learning to continue at home. However, not all families across the UK can afford computers or tablets and children from these households risk falling behind in their education.

“This generous donation from Panasonic will make a big difference and help children to reach their full potential.”