Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s Time After Time fund is awarding £500,000 to eight pioneering UK projects aimed at reducing electronic waste and enhancing digital inclusion. Chosen from over 120 candidates by a distinguished panel, these initiatives will use grants of up to £100,000 to repurpose tech for refugees and the homeless, equip youth with device repair skills for employment, and conduct comprehensive research on e-waste solutions and digital access.

In its second year, the Time After Time fund, part of Virgin Media O2’s Better Connections Plan, addresses the UK’s significant e-waste challenge. The fund supports 10 million circular actions to combat e-waste and aims to connect 1 million digitally excluded individuals by 2025. Committed to sustainability, Virgin Media O2 is on track for zero waste operations and has eliminated 65 tonnes of single-use plastic, equal to the weight of five double-decker buses.

Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2 emphasised that on the importance by stating that “With Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s £500,000 funding, these brilliant initiatives will transform communities – providing devices, digital skills, support and training, that will enrich people’s lives, give tech a second life, and help protect the planet”.

Similarly, Hubbub’s Co-Founder, Gavin Ellis mentioned that “There is an abundance of smart devices in households and businesses that have potential to help the estimated 1.5 million households are digitally disconnected get online. These projects will tackle digital exclusion through research, training and the redistribution of devices and continue to raise awareness about the issues of e-waste and digital inclusion”.