Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface Techshare Scheme

That the Parliament commends Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface (CTSI) on its Techshare scheme, which aims to provide people with recycled internet-enabled devices and help them to get online; understands that people can donate their old devices, which will be wiped and factory reset, to be given to those in need; acknowledges that many people in Clackmannanshire do not have internet access at home or a device with which to go online, and that this situation has been brought to the fore by the COVID-19 pandemic as people who previously accessed libraries or community groups now have no means of getting online; considers that this, along with a greater reliance on the internet during the pandemic as people seek to access help and keep in contact with families, means that vulnerable people, job seekers and older people have become more disadvantaged; understands that the scheme, which is by referral only, has been supported by the National Lottery Community Fund and the Corra Foundation, and has, by the beginning of November 2020, been running for four months and seen 44 devices donated so far, received 53 individual requests for help and distributed 43 devices, with 34 individuals receiving Techshare devices and a further nine people receiving Connecting Scotland devices, and congratulates CTSI on its sterling levels of service to Clackmannanshire communities.