Clean Slate has partnered with O2 and sustainability group Hubbub, in a campaign to support people in Bristol who are digitally excluded during lockdown.

O2 and Hubbub are donating 1,000 smartphone devices and 12 months of free data to people who are digitally disconnected and struggling in the pandemic. As a partner, Clean Slate will be providing financial tips and guidance to help people manage tight household budgets. The campaign is also supported by The Aviva Foundation.

The Community Calling campaign tackles the financial exclusion that often goes hand in hand with a lack of connectivity. The Bristol launch follows successful roll-outs across several London boroughs, Manchester and Leeds.

By donating copies of Quids in! magazine, resources such as our Budget Planner, and videos on our YouTube channel, we hope to make a difference to the millions of people facing inequality, poverty and employment challenges.

It was recently revealed that 2.7 million UK adults (5 per cent) were unable to access the internet in the three months before August 2020 – preventing people from reaching family, friends or other essential networks of support.

Funding from the Aviva Foundation will ensure that the campaign benefits mid-life to elderly low-income households across the city, who particularly struggle to access financial wellbeing support.

Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder at Hubbub, said: “It’s been heart-warming to see the positive impact receiving a smartphone through the Community Calling project has already had on so many people’s lives.

“We’re calling on individuals and businesses with spare smartphones to donate them to somebody who needs a device to stay connected at this difficult time.”

Phones will be distributed through a range of local organisations, including Bristol Drugs Project, AgeUK and Ambition Lawrence Weston, all working in partnership with O2, Hubbub and education consultants, Sustainable Hive.

If you’d like to support the campaign and donate your old smartphone to Community Calling, visit www.hubbub.org.uk/communitycalling