DPA scales up Tech4Young carers program, delivering free laptops to UK youth

The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) has expanded its Tech4Young Carers initiative to provide free laptops to young caregivers across Cambridgeshire, UK.

Previously available in Fenland, Huntingdonshire, and South Cambridgeshire, the program will now include Cambridge and Peterborough, aiming to remove barriers to education and digital access for young people with caregiving responsibilities.

Supporting young caregivers through digital access

The initiative supports caregivers between the ages of 14 and 25 who provide unpaid care for family members or close friends with long-term illnesses, disabilities, mental health conditions, age-related frailty, or addiction. By providing laptops, internet connectivity, and digital skills training, the program seeks to address digital exclusion, which can limit educational and employment opportunities for young caregivers.

Pippa Heylings, MP for South Cambridgeshire, emphasized the importance of digital access for young caregivers:

"Young carers dedicate themselves to supporting their loved ones, yet too often they face barriers that restrict their own opportunities. In today's digital-first world, having a laptop is not a luxury - it is a necessity for education, employment, and staying connected.

“Expanding the Tech4YoungCarers program across Cambridgeshire ensures that these young people are not left behind. I commend the Digital Poverty Alliance, Centre 33, and Cambridgeshire County Council for their leadership in improving digital access, and I encourage businesses and organizations to support this initiative. Together, we can provide young carers with the resources they need to succeed."

Program expansion and funding

Funded by E2BN and delivered in partnership with Centre 33 and Cambridgeshire County Council, the initiative includes skills workshops designed to help young caregivers navigate online spaces effectively.

John Chapman, Director of E2BN, highlighted the program’s wider impact.

"We are delighted that this program, aimed to empower young carers, can now support young carers and their families across the whole of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Technology is integral to engagement with society and services, as well as enabling more online connections and leisure.

“This program provides laptops, skills and connectivity to young carers, who otherwise can easily feel isolated and under pressure. Empowering these people with the tools and skills to engage with the world as and when they need to is essential to ensure they can succeed in the future."

Addressing digital exclusion among young caregivers

Cambridgeshire has 4,984 young caregivers under the age of 18, though the actual number is higher when including those up to 25. Many lack access to laptops or internet connectivity, making it difficult to complete schoolwork, apply for jobs, or access essential services. The expansion of the initiative aims to close this gap.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, emphasized the urgency of tackling digital poverty among young caregivers.

"Our Tech4Young Carers initiative in Cambridgeshire has already been a huge success. By providing a laptop for each young carer to keep, these caregivers are able to access essential digital services and stay more connected than before. Expanding to Cambridge and Peterborough was a natural step for the initiative, helping even more people as more and more services move online.

“Though we've made fantastic progress towards tackling digital poverty, our work has only just begun. The expansion of this initiative aligns with the UK Government's Digital Inclusion Action Strategy, and we now have an incredible opportunity to catapult off this and make a tremendous impact with the help of the private sector. If you don't have a laptop, you can get left behind, and this initiative will provide free laptops to those caregivers that are without so they can get the support they need to stay online."