'Amazing' community effort and big-hearted Chad readers help to net 105 laptops for youngsters in Mansfield Woodhouse

Community champions Anne Callaghan and Coun John Coxhead had appealed for donations of unused laptops to help children in the town do their school work at home during the pandemic.

They initially collected around 82 items of IT equipment but following a plea to boost the appeal in Chad, the collection ‘smashed through’ the 100 mark.

The bid was also helped by Neil Temple, from David Blounts Estate Agents, who used his Mansfield office as a drop-off point for donations.

One youngster to benefit has been nine-year-old Alfie Chappell, a pupil at the Bramble Academy, who has autism and learning difficulties.

His mum Vicki Chappell, a committee member with the Focus Point community project, said “It’s brilliant and I want to thank Anne Callaghan and John Coxhead for all they do for the families and everyone, in and around Mansfield Woodhouse.

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"Thanks to their amazing appeal, Alfie has received a Dell laptop which he is really pleased with and will help him enormously.”

And Coun Coxhead thanked everyone for their kind-hearted response.

“It’s a thank you to the generosity of local people and the support of the Mansfield Chad that we have managed to smash through the 100 mark with donated, much needed IT equipment,” he said.

"Before the Chad ran the story last week, the donations had slowed down, but since it was reported there has been many more handed over. Myself and Anne Callaghan have continued to pass them on to families who have been able to make great use of them.

“It has been a fantastic success, amazing, with some very generous people supporting us. We've had everyone from residents in the Mansfield community to businesses donating."

Mr Temple, who helped the appeal break through the milestone, said he was only too happy to back the cause.

“When I heard that John was arranging to collect laptops for school children I wanted to help,” he said.

"Having an office in the town made it easier for people to donate and drop laptops in to me and then go on to hand them over to John. Once the restrictions are over, the children will still have the benefit of using the technology at home.”

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