AN APPEAL to provide Cumbria’s schoolchildren with laptops has met its target.

Cumbria Alliance of System Leaders (CASL) launched the campaign in late January in response to students’ home learning.

It set out to give a laptop to around 1500 pupils in the county.

Judith Schafer, chair of CASL, is pleased to have now reached their goal.

She said: “It’s fantastic. It’s such a silver lining in what has been challenging year for everybody and for pupils learning from home.

"I’m aware of the intense pressure that families and children were under and to help with that is tremendously satisfying. It’s not surprising as this is Cumbria and people are so generous – it was a fantastic system effort from everyone pulling together.

“The children will still need laptops – there will be instances where kids need to isolate. It’s not over yet, but we’ve put a big dent in what the need was.”

Mrs Schafer, who is also headteacher at Solway and Beacon Hill Community Schools, has highlighted how difficult the past year has been.

She also believes that this appeal has been a real help for pupils.

The headteacher commented: “I think that knowledge was always there, but it wasn’t until first lockdown when we had to rely on distant learning when started acting on it.

“It wasn’t just apparent that households didn’t have laptops, but it was two or three siblings who were sharing one. It was completely impractical if schools are conducting lessons from home.

"It’s been hard work – it’s been very new – there has never been something like this before and there’s been a lot of firefighting that’s had to go on – but the day-to-day business of making sure children are being educated goes on regardless albeit in a different manner. It’s nice to be getting back to what we do best, which is teaching and learning.”

In South Cumbria, organisations such as BAE, Ulverston Bid, Inspiring Barrow as well as local residents donated laptops.

As well as new laptops, some bought by DfE grants, used laptops, reconditioned by Miller Waite were also distributed.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue also helped out by delivering laptops.

In total, 124 ‘essential’ pupils in South Cumbria were handed a device.

David Reddy, chair of Chair of LASA and headteacher at George Romney School, coordinated the efforts in South Cumbria.

He said: “It’s been a real community effort. We had schools set up all around South Cumbria to receive donations. There is still a need for these things, although schools are back in at the moment.

“What’s nice about the project, as well as bringing together different groups and organisations, we have got this semi-permanent system in place now if people want to donate older machines that are still usable then we have a really effective way of doing that in our area. In the next couple of years this could really grow and develop to address the digital divide.”