A big thanks from Bano as Sivill serve up 100th laptop

All smiles: Banovallum headteacher Grant Edgar receives the 100th computer from Kelly Teasdale of Sivill Service.

Grant Edgar was speaking after representatives of Tattershall based IT company Sivill Service donated their 100th re-furbished laptop to the school last week.

Mr Edgar praised the company for what he described as an ‘amazing effort’ and added they had made a ‘massive difference’ to Banovallum’s home-schooling programme during lockdown.

And, it has emerged Banovallum are not the only beneficiaries as Sivill have supplied laptops to many other schools.

Mr Edgar told the News: “What they (Sivill) have done is priceless. It’s pretty humbling really.

“It’s not just us - it’s other schools in the area.

“They have made a massive difference and thanks to them, students have been able to continue their education at home.

“I wouldn’t like to think what we’d have done without them.”

Mr Edgar said the Government had supplied some laptops, but ‘nowhere near enough’ for all students.

He added that thanks to the firm, the school was ‘close’ to supplying each home with a laptop.

He said: “We are nearly there and then it will be trying to help homes where there are two or three kids trying to share one computer.”

Mr Edgar confirmed the school was planning for ‘some form’ of a return of students on March 8 - as per the Government target - but admitted there were no guarantees.

He said the laptops would continue to be well used, whatever happens.

The hand overs are part of the BBC’s ‘Give A Laptop’ appeal which has seen thousands of computers donated to schools across the country.

Kelly Teasdale, from Sivill Service, said the company was delighted to help and added: “It all started when my husband rang me after seeing the BBC scheme on the TV.

“That was a few weeks ago and we haven’t stopped since!”

Mrs Teasdale explained it could take up to 15 hours to re-build each lap top and perform a vital ‘clean wipe’ of all previous data.

She added: “All the computers are more than four years old and normally, anything older would be used for spare parts - or scrapped.

“There are three of us - plus a couple of volunteers - working six days a week, often until ten at night.

“It’s hard, but it’s worth it when you see how grateful the schools are.”

•Sivill are still welcoming donations of laptops. Full details are on the company’s Facebook page.