Derby company L.E.A.D. IT Services helps city charity Bridge The Gap with donation of brand-new laptops

A Derby company has donated brand new laptops to a charity which is dedicated to improving the mental health of children, parents and teachers.

L.E.A.D. IT Services, which is based in Victoria Street, Derby, answered the plea for help from Bridge the Gap Child Mental Health, which supports children with their emotions and how to deal with them.

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It is just one of many charitable donations made by the Derby firm during lockdown. Last year the company gave tablets to several city care homes so that the elderly residents could stay in touch with their families more easily.

The company also gave away hundreds of free dongles to Derby school children enabling them to access the internet and keep up with home schooling.

L.E.A.D. IT technicians also worked around the clock, and free of charge, to clean and set up 3,000 laptops for school pupils without access to a computer or device.

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Director Lee Jepson said: “We are always very keen to support the community wherever we can, and I know that Bridge the Gap has been an absolute lifeline for many families – never more so than over the last couple of years which have challenged the mental health of everyone.

“Both our services and equipment have been in huge demand since coronavirus forced everyone to begin working from home, and where we haven’t been able to provide computers or laptops we have offered our time to help schools and companies set up software and safeguarding systems.”

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Beverley Wakefield, director of Bridge the Gap, said: “We really can’t say thank you enough to Lee Jepson and L.E.A.D. IT Services for such a kind donation to our charity.

“It has been a difficult year for charities but, thanks to the kindness of businesses in Derby and Derbyshire, such as L.E.A.D. IT Services, we are in a good place going forward.”