Virgin Media O2 pushes to get more donated devices to people in need

Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub are running a PR campaign to urge people to hand in their unwanted phones to the Community Calling scheme so the devices can be redistributed to people in need.

Community Calling was established in 2020 in response to the pandemic to provide smartphones to help people who couldn’t afford devices or connectivity to get online.

The initiative has now donated 20,000 devices to those who need them across the country, including victims of domestic abuse, refugees, and disadvantaged communities.

Partners include Women’s Aid, Crisis, Migrant Help, and Supporting Children with Diabetes.

The devices are connected to free O2 mobile data plans from the National Databank, which was set up by Virgin Media O2 and the charity Good Things Foundation. Unwanted working smartphones can be sent to Community Calling for free, where accredited tech partner Genuine Solutions will data wipe the devices before passing them on to someone who needs them.

The charity is part of Virgin Media O2’s sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan, to encourage consumers to help tackle electronic waste.

A Virgin Media O2 survey found that 70 percent of people feel guilty for not doing enough to support charities or those in need. Nearly half of those surveyed said they would pass on an item to a good cause if they knew it would have a positive impact on someone’s life.

Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said “People want to do more to help communities in need. Wwith millions of unused phones stashed in drawers and garages, they’ve got the power to change lives by donating their devices to Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s Community Calling scheme.

Alex Robinson, CEO of Hubbub, said “We’ve made it straightforward, to encourage even more businesses and individuals to pass on their old devices to support those facing digital exclusion.”