High-street retailer Dixons Carphone is providing free internet-enabled tablets to elderly UK citizens in order to help them stay connected with friends and family during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The firm will provide a total of 500 free tablets to needy customers along with offering dedicated tech support to help users get set up.
The project is the fruit of an ongoing partnership with Age UK, one of the country’s largest charities committed to supporting senior citizens. Earlier in the pandemic, Dixons Carphone also provided hundreds of laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards and headsets to the charity’s telephone helpline and friendship service.
Dixons Carphone charity
The latest initiative is designed to allow the elderly to communicate with friends and family, from whom they are likely isolated during the lockdown.
These tablets will also give them the means to access health guidance and the latest news about coronavirus, with features such as text enlargement ensuring ease of use.
According to Dixons Carphone CEO Alex Baldock, technology has a crucial role to play in staving off loneliness during the pandemic.
“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,” he said.
“Technology connects friends and family, as well as keeping older people entertained, productive and healthy.”
Meanwhile, his counterpart at Age UK, Steph Harland, said support from the technology retailer will, “go a long way towards helping the UK’s most vulnerable older people feel safe and valued”.
Over the next two years, the pair intends to pool their collective resources and leverage their nationwide presence to provide the UK’s elderly with continual support, using a range of technologies to improve mental health and bolster independence.