About Tools for Schools

Tools for Schools is a not-for-profit business and registered educational charity originally established in 1999 and now operating within Schoolchildren for Children.

Companies donate computers that are to be replaced, typically machines around three years old that meet a minimum specification we set (this is currently high end Pentium 3). We manage the refurbishing of the donated computers using a third party and make them available to schools throughout the UK at a nominal charge. We particularly target areas of recognised social deprivation. This provides IT resources for some of the UK's most deprived communities, works towards closing the digital divide and reduces the huge adverse environmental impact that disposal of the computers by landfill creates.

To date more than 25,000 high quality refurbished computers have been provided to around 1,500 schools and education projects. Our enterprise became the largest education/IT recycling initiative in the UK and we have ambitious plans for development.

We have a number of projects alongside our main work with schools. Working with local authorities, charities and schools we have provided computers for children in care and around one thousand machines for deprived children at home.

Much of our planned expansion is in response to the current Government initiative to increase access to personalised learning. We are working with schools and local authorities to equip those pupils and their families who do not have a computer with one for home use enabling them to keep up with their classmates.

An original idea

Tools for Schools was created in 1998 by Graham Bednash of the communications agency Michaelides & Bednash. The charity was established with the financial support of The Guardian newspaper. Since January 2006 Tools for Schools has operated as part of Schoolchildren for Children.