Elderly Gosport residents are donated tablets to video call family and friends

Residents in sheltered accommodation with Thorngate Churcher Trust, based in Gosport, has been loaned a number of tablets by IT firm Softcat.

The tablets allow the residents to stay in touch with their families and friends with video calls.

Due to the government’s lockdown measures, visitors are not permitted at care homes or sheltered accommodation, with residents considered to be at ‘high-risk’ of contracting coronavirus.

Thorngate’s chief executive, Anne Taylor, says the residents were all excited about seeing their loved ones again.

She said: ‘This has been an incredible gesture by Softcat and within hours of arriving the tablets were being used by residents who are really missing their friends and family.

‘We have been able to have a tablet at each of our three sheltered housing schemes in Gosport and in our care home, Russell Churcher Court.

‘Everyone is really grateful to Softcat for choosing us to have these tablets with free data for three months.’

According to Anne, the residents were all able to get used to the technology with relative ease.

The trust looks after 124 sheltered flats, plus 44 beds at Russel Churcher Court.

Softcat chief executive Graeme Watt said he was delighted to be helping people who are isolated from their friends and families – and will be for the forseeable future.

He said: ‘Softcat has a long history of supporting local community initiatives and especially in these unprecedented and challenging times we wanted to get behind an initiative that would make a tangible difference in supporting the community and offering support to those in need.

‘Our focus this year is on caring for others and this small gesture is not only a thank you to all of the critical workers continuing their great work but we hope it allows vulnerable people the ability to keep connected with loved ones at a time when it’s needed the most.’

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