Doro and giffgaff have partnered to donate 500 Doro 5516 feature phones to isolated elderly people across the UK, as part of a push to counter the effects of loneliness during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The manufacturer and MVNO, in conjunction with business donation platform Neighbourly, are delivering the phones as part of a wider initiative to provide 2,000 phones to isolated older people across Germany, France and the Nordics.
All phones will be delivered with a pre-installed giffgaff SIM with unlimited texts and calls and 2GB of monthly data. The 5516 comes with 3G connectivity and the Doro Assistance button on the back of the phone.
In the event of an emergency, the Assistance button activates a call to Doro’s trained advisors, who can advise the caller appropriately, or pass the call on to emergency services. The service, normally charged, will be free to the users for three months from distribution.
The news follows giffgaff’s goodybank initiative, in which it matches giffgaff members’ credit top-ups with donations to charities.
“Living in isolation is tough for everyone, but the elderly may find themselves in a greater state of stress and suffering from loneliness,” said giffgaff CEO Ashley Schofield. “We hope that providing these phones will help them stay connected with loved ones and brng some much needed respite in these trying times.”
