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Homeless people will be given free smartphones to help them stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic.
A two-year partnership between Tesco Mobile and the homelessness charity Crisis will see homeless people given £700,000 worth of smartphones and internet data.
The connectivity drive is aimed to help homeless people during the Covid-19 outbreak, making it easier for them to access public health guidance and support, look into housing options and keep in touch with friends and family.
Crisis has already provided 1,000 mobile phones to homeless people since the beginning of lockdown, and plans to provide 2,500 homeless people with phones in the first year of the connectivity drive.
It is urging the public to donate their old smartphones.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said the lack of digital connection during the pandemic has become a “huge challenge” and that addressing this will support charities’ work during a “really difficult and dangerous time”.
He said: “It’s really clear to us that, as well as the obvious things of not having a house or being able to afford a place to live, which are really awful things that people face when they’re homeless, there’s this sense of isolation and loneliness and the lack of connectivity that people feel as well.
“And that’s always been there, that’s something which is really important, certainly to our services – as well as helping people find somewhere to live and a job, we’re also looking at helping to connect them and the resilience that brings.”
The pandemic has “shone an even brighter light on that issue,” Sparkes said. With people being urged to self-isolate in order to protect themselves from the coronavirus, “the fact that they’re not able to connect has become even more important.”
Tom Denyard, chief executive of Tesco Mobile, said: “We believe passionately that everyone has the right to be connected and that mobile connection brings us all closer to other people, to society, and provides access to essential services.
“For many people living without a permanent home, digital connection is a necessary lifeline.”