We rely on technology, now more than ever – it’s keeping us connected, entertained and informed during lockdown.
But thousands of young people are stuck at home without a phone or tablet. They can’t access remote learning, or contact care workers and family members that they rely on for support.
We can change that, together.
Donate your old phones and tablets to The Great British Tech Appeal and we’ll gift them to families and support workers in-need, with 3 months free data.
Our charity partners
How big is the problem?
- Up to 1 million households don’t have adequate access to a device or connectivity at home.
- 300,000 young people can’t contact essential support workers due to digital poverty.
- 25% of abuse sufferers rated their safety at less than 5/10 in lockdown.
Statistics provided by Barnardos and SafeLives
How can I help?
Donating your device is simple, fast and free:
Register below and we’ll send you a pre-paid envelope
Put the phone or tablet in the envelope and send it back
We’ll wipe all data, restore factory settings, then send it to its new home
Get started
The data you provide in this form won’t be shared or used for any purpose other than sending you a pre-paid envelope. Any device you send us will be wiped of all data, and restored to factory settings before we send it on.
Donate as a business
Email us with the following:
- Name
- Address
- Mobile number
- Number, size and weight of boxes to collect
- Preferred collection date
See Terms & Conditions [225KB]
FAQs
Why has Vodafone launched The Great British Tech Appeal?
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how important digital technology is in keeping us connected. Yet, hundreds of thousands of people across the UK don’t have adequate access to a device or connectivity at home and face huge barriers in accessing education and support services. Vodafone’s Great British Tech Appeal aims to help by collecting and redistributing old smartphones and tablets to those who need them most.
How does The Great British Tech Appeal work?
The Great British Tech Appeal relies on the generous donations of the public. We will collect used smartphones and tablets. These devices will be data wiped, reboxed and redistributed, with the help of our chosen charity partners. Recipients of a device will benefit from unlimited connectivity for three months, after which they can choose to stay with us as a customer or join another network.
The Great British Tech Appeal is different from Vodafone Trade In where you can trade in your old device for money or other benefits. The Great British Tech Appeal relies on individuals donating their used devices, which means you will not receive any money in return.
Who are the charity partners?
Our charity partners are Barnardo’s, SafeLives and the British Red Cross.
How will donated devices get to those in need?
Vodafone will allocate donated devices to its chosen charity partners who will then work with their care workers to allocate to individuals and families who they have identified as most in need.
What devices can be donated and in what condition do they need to be in?
The Great British Tech Appeal is looking for any smartphone or tablet that is in working condition. Any donated device that can’t be used (e.g. due to damage or software incompatibility) will be responsibly recycled. Please note that we cannot accept any other devices.
How do I donate my device?
Donating your device is simple, fast and free of charge. Complete our online form and we will send a donation kit with a flattened freepost box and pre-paid returns envelope.
Before returning your device, we recommend you do a full reset of the device to its default factory settings (e.g. no password or pin number or any cloud-based protection such as iCloud). Please also disable any ‘find my device’ functionality such as Find My iPhone. If ‘Find my device’ is not disabled, we will not be able to process or donate your device. You can find more information on how to wipe data from your device from Apple or Android.
Once your device is data wiped and packaged in the donation box it can be posted for free at any post office or post box.
Should the charger or other accessories be donated as well?
No. Unfortunately, we can’t accept any chargers or other accessories (including SIM cards or memory cards) sent to us. Please take extra care to remove any SIM cards or memory cards before donating your device.
Can donated devices be returned?
No. The Great British Tech Appeal relies on the generosity of individuals donating their used devices. All donated devices are non-returnable.
By donating your device you agree that the device will belong to Vodafone once it is received by us, and that we can then choose to clean, data wipe, redistribute or recycle the device however we think is best.
What if some of my data remains on my donated device?
You must take care to ensure that you have deleted any data stored on your device before donating it, including removing any SIM card or memory card. If you forget to do this, or if for some reason your personal information remains on a donated device, please rest assured that all devices we receive will be wiped to ensure all previous user data is deleted. As noted above, we are unable to return any SIM cards or memory cards sent to us so these will be responsibly recycled.
What will you do with the personal information I've provided in the online form?
Any personal data will be processed in line with our privacy policy, available here