Small businesses help homeless people and the environment with old tech

Press Releases 16 Nov 2021

FSB links up with SocialBox.Biz to repurpose surplus tech equipment, to benefit refugees and homeless people

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is donating its old tech equipment to help refugees and homeless people with training and education to help them to find work and get back on to their feet. The move is also part of FSB’s environmental sustainability drive.

FSB is urging other small businesses to consider doing the same as its recent research shows that 56 per cent of small businesses believe our planet is facing a climate crisis and 36 per cent of small businesses have a plan to combat climate change, but only 30 per cent have made changes to their business because of that plan (source: FSB Accelerating Progress, 2021). This scheme and others like it are a simple step that small businesses could take to make a difference.

FSB is donating surplus IT equipment, including over 50 laptops and monitors, to Scholarships for Refugees and Homeless People, an initiative coordinated by SocialBox.Biz. The initiative gathers old, no longer needed - but still usable – laptops which are then upgraded so they can be used by homeless people and refugees who need them.

Over recent years, FSB, which represents the voice of small businesses and the self-employed in the UK, has been committed to corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices as much as it can. It has recently successfully reduced the number of printers at its offices by 50 per cent and recycles or donates all obsolete technology, in line with environmental legislation and data security.

FSB’s National Vice Chair Melanie Ulyatt said: “Sustainability and social responsibility are core to FSB’s ethos and, as a relatively small company, we’re always looking at introducing new operational practices to support that. We’re hoping this move may inspire our small business members to do something similar.

“It’s well-documented that smaller businesses are better at offering employment opportunities to those from labour market disadvantaged groups (Source: Small Business Big Heart, FSB, 2019), and we hope by working with SocialBox.Biz, we’ll help to prepare more people from these groups to embark in work and contribute to our economy.”

SocialBox.Biz Founder, and former child refugee, Peter Paduh, said, “It’s fantastic to have FSB on board with our programme and we are grateful for the equipment it’s provided to us. We are looking to build up the volumes of collections and are working to provide scholarships for homeless people and people from refugee backgrounds towards training and classes to upgrade their skills and help with finding work and getting back on their feet.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

  1. 95% of small employers had taken on at least one worker from a labour market disadvantaged group between 2016 and 2019 (source: FSB, Small Business Big Heart, 2019).
     
  2. 80% of small businesses of FSB members have contributed to their local community or charity between 2016 and 2019 (source: FSB, Small Business Big Heart, 2019).

About SocialBox.Biz
SocialBox.Biz is a community interest company aiming to improve the local community with dynamic tech solutions. SocialBox.Biz is the organisation behind the rapidly expanding Laptops for Homeless Initiative, which has gained much momentum through strategic partnership with local organisations. Its initiatives are designed to get laptops into the hands of homeless people, support refugees, train at-risk job seekers, and offer practical computer skills classes and access to e-learning.

Media contact

Kerry Curtis

Kerry Curtis

Senior Public Relations Manager

Email
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About FSB

As the UK’s largest business support group, FSB is the voice of the UK’s small businesses and the self-employed. Established over 40 years ago to help its members succeed in business, FSB is a non-profit making and non-party political organisation that’s led by its members, for its members. As the UK’s leading business campaigner, FSB is focused on delivering change which supports smaller businesses to grow and succeed.

FSB offers members a wide range of vital business services, including access to finance, business banking, legal advice and support along with a powerful voice in Government. Each year FSB also runs the UK’s Celebrating Small Business Awards. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk. You can follow us on twitter @fsb_policy and on Instagram @fsb_uk.