Kilkenny business supports Ukrainian refugees with technology

Kilkenny-headquartered Business IT Solutions, www.BITS.ie has teamed up with Kilkenny LEADER Partnership to provide Ukrainian refugees arriving into Ireland with the technology they need for school, for college and to stay in touch with family back home.

The award-winning IT support company is reaching out to clients, contacts and their extended network, asking them to donate laptops and tablets in good working order that they no longer use.

BITS will ensure any technology donated and dropped into its headquarters in The Smithlands Centre, Loughboy, Kilkenny, is securely cleared of any data. BITS will refurbish the technology, setting it up for use by families, teens and students to help them keep involved in education, in contact with loved ones, etc, CEO, Gavin Dixon, explained.

“Like everyone, our team in BITS felt helpless when Ukrainian families began to arrive in Ireland several weeks ago. We wanted to do something to help. We got together as a team, reached out to LEADER and to our clients all over Ireland and are anxious to make a difference,” Mr Dixon explained.

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership is co-ordinating the local response on the ground and will ensure that the technology gets into the right hands for best use.

“Our ask is that you root out that old, but working laptop or tablet, give it to BITS and we will get it fit for use again.

“Technology can be dropped into our offices in Kilkenny (Loughboy). All we ask is that anyone donating signs a short  form to confirm that they’re donating the laptop and that all data can be erased. That’s it. We’ll look after the rest,” Mr Dixon concluded.