Three revamps Reconnected phone donation scheme

• Reconnected enables customers to donate their old phones, which Three, partnered with Genuine Solutions, repackages with Unlimited data, texts and calls for six months
• Initial focus of Reconnected will be to provide devices and data to those displaced due to the war in Ukraine
• Individuals seeking employment, disadvantaged students and other vulnerable people facing digital exclusion will also benefit from the programme

Three has revamped its Reconnected programme with a refreshed look and new charity partnerships in order to tackle three key challenges facing the UK – supporting Ukrainian refugees displaced due to war, unemployment and social mobility.

Mobiles are a powerful force for good, which is why Reconnected aims is to give a new lease of life to customers’ pre-loved phones in order to provide connectivity to the 1.9 million households in the UK without access to the internet.*

With two in four Brits (53%) saying they keep their old or unused devices, there are millions of smart phones that can be dusted off and used to support disadvantaged people in the UK. Three packages each donated device with six months of Unlimited data, calls and texts, which means those who receive the phones can use them straight away.**

The scheme focuses on three key partners who each help alleviate some of the key issues facing society today:

• Good Things Foundation: The UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, working to fix the digital divide. Good Things Foundation will identify people in need through its network of community partners, including those escaping war and persecution who are seeking refuge in the UK.
• Business in the Community: Working to build a fairer and more sustainable society, phones donated to Business in the Community will go towards people trying to enter employment.
• LetsLocalise: A digital social platform with a network of over 600 schools and 100 businesses, LetsLocalise aims to provide the best educational opportunities to students across the country through innovative features that nurture and sustain community development and engagement. In the last two years, LetsLocalise has already impacted the lives of over 50,000 students, and they are well on their way to fulfilling their mission of empowering a million students.

The donation scheme is delivered by Three in partnership with Genuine Solutions, experts in the recovery and distribution of mobile technology, to ensure that any phones donated that are not suitable to be sent to charity partners are either refurbished or recycled, ensuring the most sustainable disposal of old devices.

 “So many of us take our phones and our connectivity for granted. We must remember that there are more than a million households in the UK that do not have this luxury. Our Reconnected programme is all about ensuring disadvantaged people can get connected quickly and easily.” Elaine Carey, Chief Commercial Officer, Three

“We’re encouraging people not only to donate their old ones when they upgrade, but to dig out smart phones hidden away in drawers and ensure they are either donated to one of our key charities – or refurbished or recycled. This way we can ensure your phone either goes to someone in critical need of it, can be given a new lease of life, or be sustainably recycled.”  Gurjit Dhillon, Director, Genuine Solutions

You can read more about Reconnected here: Three.co.uk/Reconnected