The Sunday Post (Inverness)

Giving away old phones? Good call

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In the long months of quarantine, keeping in touch with friends and family on Skype and Zoom was a lifeline many of us simply couldn’t imagine going without. So, when I read that thousands of homeless people in the UK are to be given a free smartphone to help them stay connected with loved ones, and keep updated with Covid news and regulation­s, it reminded me just how fortunate we are to have such easy access to vital technology. Backed by Tesco Mobile, homelessne­ss charity Crisis has already provided 1,000 mobile phones to those in need since the start of lockdown, and it plans to provide a further 1,500 in the first year of the new programme.

Initially, I thought it didn’t seem like a very large number – but then I realised, each of those mobiles represents a person who has nowhere to call home, which is truly heartbreak­ing.

The initiative is a great idea, and it got me thinking about the old iphones that I have sitting in the back of a drawer somewhere. Maybe it’s time we all have a clear out, donating old tech that could be a wonderful gift for someone who really needs it. That’s a call none of us should decline.

As soon as we’re allowed, Switzerlan­d, here I come after they just experience­d the most wonderful downpour. Residents of a small Swiss town recently found buildings dusted in chocolate “rain” after a glitch with a nearby confection­ery factory’s cooling ventilatio­n system caused cocoa powder to be blown around the local area. Chocolate. Rain. Can you imagine how marvellous would that be? The only thing better would be

chocolate finger hailstones!

 ??  ?? 1,000 mobiles have been donated
1,000 mobiles have been donated
 ??  ??

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