The partnership has won a prestigious High Sheriff of Cheshire Award which will be presented by the High Sheriff, Robert Mee DL, on Tuesday 7 December.

Warrington Borough Council joined forces with Laptops for Kids – a charitable organisation that facilitates the donation, secure erasure, and distribution of used digital devices – to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Warrington.

Alongside Laptops for Kids, the council has also been working with The Challenge Academy Trust (TCAT) and Warrington Youth Club to repurpose the donated laptops from local businesses, organisations and individuals, and ensure they get to the children who need them most.

The laptops are given to Warrington’s disadvantaged young people and families through schools, free of charge, so they can access the technology they need to participate in remote learning, which enables them to do the schoolwork they couldn’t do without a computer.

Businesses such as Jacobs, Vaultex, and Sellafield Ltd have donated laptops, desktop computers, and other pieces of equipment to support the scheme and some of Warrington’s more vulnerable children.

So far, 271 laptops and 59 desktop computers have been donated to local children.

Cllr Sarah Hall, cabinet member for children's services, said: “It’s fantastic that this scheme has got some well-deserved praise for the work undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The partnership’s hard work throughout the past 18 months has ensured that hundreds of children have safe access to the internet and equal opportunities to continue their education at home when required.

“However, we still need your continued support to help close this digital divide to make sure that every child in Warrington has the best access to IT possible to help them succeed at school.