A new initiative to help children access online lessons during lockdown has been launched in High Wycombe.

Mum-of-two Carole Arnold has set up Pass It On High Wycombe to collect unused IT equipment and redistribute it to local families who are struggling to access remote lessons.

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It comes after schools in England were closed with a day’s notice after the Christmas break, with the Prime Minister plunging the nation into a third lockdown after a new variant of Covid spread rapidly across the country.

Ms Arnold, who lives in High Wycombe, told the Bucks Free Press she was inspired to set up the initiative after struggling to juggle her children’s remote lessons on her one computer while also working herself.

She said: “Last Tuesday we were plunged into needing to be able to juggle everything.

“I work from home and need to use my computer and mobile phone. All of a sudden, the children need to use it too, to access their lessons.

“We’ve got one computer to do that on, and I’ve got two children.

“I was really aware that on the screen in front of me were other mums and dads trying to do the same thing.

“One poor lady was trying to help her daughter answer a maths question while she was on the phone to a client at the same time, somebody else had to hang up their mobile phone that their child was accessing their lesson on because they needed to make a work call.

“I was watching these people in my one class and just knew that there were going to be so many other people out there struggling like I was. I just wanted to help.”

Ms Arnold said she found two old laptops lying around and asked a friend to wipe them so they could be used by her children, both of whom have additional needs.

She added: “In that moment I thought ‘I bet there are more people who have got an old piece of equipment and I know there are more families out there who can really do with some help right now’.”

She put out a post on Facebook at the weekend asking if someone could help with admin and organising the initiative, if anyone had old equipment they were willing to give away and if someone needed any equipment like that.

In less than a week, Ms Arnold has collected 37 pieces of equipment and has 39 children who are asking for equipment. All the equipment is quarantined for 72 hours before being thoroughly cleaned and made ready for a new family.

She has also had requests from schools in the area saying they have many families in need of equipment.

She added: “We’re just going to keep going and see how many of these kids we can help.”

Ms Arnold has praised High Wycombe’s community spirit, saying she is “so proud of everyone pulling together and helping”.

She said: “The community we have here is so open to helping one another. In just five days we have got all this equipment, all these offers of help.

“It’s been a real positive to come out of the last year.”

She also praised teachers and school staff, saying she was “in awe of how they have turned things around and pulled it out of the bag in the last two weeks”.

Ms Arnold added: “My kids have live lessons everyday and one-to-one sessions if they need them.

“To have all those children, with varying abilities especially, and to keep them engaged throughout is amazing.

“It blows me away what [the teachers] have been doing.”

If you have IT equipment you would like to donate, or are in need of equipment, visit www.facebook.com/Pass-It-On-High-Wycombe-106544051404709 or search Pass It On High Wycombe in Facebook.

You can also email Carole at passitonhw@gmail.com or call 07811 264344.