Technology retailer supplies 500 free tablets with mobile network connectivity to some of the most vulnerable older people left isolated by Coronavirus
Dedicated tech support line to launched exclusively for tablet recipients
Tablets, fully charged and ready to go with NHS and news Apps uploaded
Initiative is the next step in partnership since Dixons Carphone colleagues voted Age UK their charity partner
Dixons Carphone has previously donated hundreds of tech items to help Age UK provide critical support through The Silver Line helpline
In partnership with Age UK, Dixons Carphone today announces that it has provided free tablets, connectivity and a dedicated technology support phone line to help hundreds of vulnerable older people from feeling lonely and isolated during the pandemic.
The technology retailer, which owns Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse, is working with its Charity partner, Age UK, to help older people get online. Using the latest tablet technology, they will be able to connect with friends and family, access important guidance and advice on staying safe and healthy and keep up to date with current news and information about coronavirus.
Last year the Age UK network helped more than seven million older people with information and advice, a service which is even more crucial during the pandemic. Through its telephone befriending services, the Charity is identifying 500 older people who are most in need of the technology and are keen to learn how to use it. Those who do not currently have access to the internet will now get connected using the new, fully charged and ready-to-use tablets with mobile network connectivity and pre-loaded with news and NHS apps.
The tablets, which are lightweight and allow enlargement of text for those who are visually impaired, will be delivered direct to the older person’s home while observing strict social distancing guidelines.
Each recipient will also receive easy-to-follow large-print instructions on how to get started. Those who have any further technical questions can contact a dedicated support line which goes directly to a Dixons Carphone expert who will provide ongoing support. Dixons Carphone colleagues have all received telephone support training, developed by Age UK, to help them engage with vulnerable older people in the most appropriate and comprehensive way.
This is the technology retailer’s second wave of support for Age UK after it donated hundreds of laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards and headsets to its telephone helpline and friendship service run by The Silver Line*, enabling staff to maintain vital support to older people whilst following Government advice to work from home.
Dixons Carphone Chief Executive, Alex Baldock, said: “Covid-19 is a threat to everyone, but especially to older people, to their mental as well as physical health. Many are anxious about being isolated, and we can help. Technology connects friends and family, as well as keeping older people entertained, productive and healthy. That’s why we’re working with Age UK to harness the power of technology, to fight the isolating threat of this virus by providing tablets and connectivity to some of the most vulnerable.”
Age UK Chief Executive, Steph Harland, said: “At Age UK, we are committed to ensuring older people can enjoy life and are comfortable, safe and secure at home, feel well, valued and able to participate. COVID-19 is a very real threat to these qualities of life so we’re delighted that together with Dixons Carphone we are helping older people get access to vital technology. Dixons Carphone’s donation of tablets and mobile network connectivity as well as technical support will go a long way towards helping the UK’s most vulnerable older people feel safe, valued and connected during this crisis.”
Age UK gives friendship, advice and practical support to older people and their families when they need it most, and Dixons Carphone exists to help everyone, including those who might otherwise be excluded, benefit from amazing technology. Together they aim to deliver digital support to thousands of older people, equipping them with essential tech skills, strengthening connections with friends and family and enabling them to make the most of the benefits of being online.
Over the next two years, the partnership will pull together the nationwide presence and expertise of both organisations, using a range of technology to help combat loneliness, improve mental health, and increase confidence and independence and community participation for older people.**
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Notes to editors
In line with its colleagues’ decision to vote Age UK its charity partner in February 2020, Dixons Carphone has prioritised its charitable support during the Covid-19 crisis towards vulnerable older people. For example:
ID Mobile, the mobile network owned by Dixons Carphone, is offering all existing customers aged 70 and over free and unlimited data for the 12-week isolation period advised by the government
ID Mobile is also working in partnership with the DCMS alongside other mobile phone retailers and providers to give NHS frontline staff extra data, calls and texts for free for the duration of the pandemic. All existing customers who work for the NHS will be entitled to this Covid-19 support package
The business has donated hundreds of radios to the BBC’s Make a Difference Campaign in partnership with Wavelength charity offering vulnerable people aged 70 and over a free radio
The Silver Line is a subsidiary charity of Age UK
* Dixons Carphone has committed to support Age UK over a two-year period. This latest donation equates to around £100,000 worth of technical and logistical support, excluding colleagues time.
About Dixons Carphone
Dixons Carphone is a leading multichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating in nearly 1,000 stores and 16 websites in eight countries. We Help Everyone Enjoy Amazing Technology, however they choose to shop with us.
We are the market leader in the UK & Ireland, throughout the Nordics and in Greece, employing 39,000 capable and committed colleagues. Our full range of services and support makes it easy for our customers to discover, choose, afford and enjoy the right technology for them, throughout their lives. The Group’s core operations are supported by an extensive distribution network, enabling delivery to stores and homes, a sourcing office in Hong Kong and a state-of-the-art repair facility in Newark, UK.
Our brands include Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse in the UK & Ireland and iD Mobile in the UK; Elkjøp, Elgiganten and Gigantti in the Nordics; and Kotsovolos in Greece. Our Dixons Travel brand has a presence across several UK airports as well as in Dublin and Oslo, and our services are provided through Team Knowhow.
About Age UK
Age UK is a national charity that works with a network of partners, including Age Scotland, Age Cymru, Age NI and local Age UKs across England, to help everyone make the most of later life, whatever their circumstances.
In the UK, the Charity helps more than seven million older people each year by providing advice and support. It also researches and campaigns on the issues that matter most to older people. Its work focuses on ensuring that older people: have enough money; enjoy life and feel well; receive high quality health and care; are comfortable, safe and secure at home; and feel valued and able to participate.
Age UK’s subsidiary charity, Age International, supports older people globally in over 30 developing countries by funding programmes such as vital emergency relief and healthcare and campaigning to raise awareness and change policies.
Age UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (registered charity number 1128267 and registered company number 6825798). Charitable services are provided through Age UK and commercial products are offered by the Charity’s Community Interest Company (CiC) (registered company number 1102972) which donates its net profits to Age UK (the Charity).
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