Laptops donated to upskill homeless people in Salford

Salford University has donated 60 laptops to a local charity to help upskill homeless people.

Emmaus Salford supports people who have been homeless by providing them with a place to stay, and with meaningful work in a community setting.

Whilst at Emmaus people have access to individual support, training and personal development, to gain the skills and resilience needed to move forward positively in their lives. The laptops will be used as part of a training resource, to help upskill those that the charity helps and to help them create CV and with job applications.

The Energy House 2.0 team at Salford University, Rochdale based construction company, Casey, and AEW Architects have been working with the charity on their ‘People’s Pods’ initiative that will support those who are sleeping rough. The aim is to upgrade and refurbish the site cabins; providing a warm and safe place to stay on a temporary basis.

The thermal properties of a cabin were evaluated in the Energy House 2.0 under winter conditions, with the team making recommendations in terms of upgrading the structural insulation and the heating system to provide a warm and comfortable environment with low running costs.

Jackie Smith, CEO of Emmaus Salford, said: “We are extremely grateful for the continued support that we have received from Casey AEW Architects, this relationship has spanned over almost a decade now and with this latest collaboration involving Salford University.

“Companions (residents experiencing homelessness living in our community) were delighted to be provided with a laptop each. This has helped with areas such as CV writing and job applications.”

Professor Will Swan, Director of Sustainability and Energy House Labs, said: “It is a pleasure to be able to sustainably donate the laptops to Emmaus Salford.

“It is great having the opportunity to help a charity with a key purpose and mission which we have been closely working with.”

The University’s Sustainability Team made this link between the charity and Digital IT, further strengthening relationships with the local community.

Leigh Vincent, Digital IT Technician Team Leader, said: “I am delighted that our laptops will gain a new home and be put to significant use at the charity – providing the individuals with a key resource to help progress into their next steps.”