Charitable donation helps Sheffield and Rotherham pupils access online lessons

The GFG Foundation - which educates and supports school-age students interested in engineering and science - made donations to Stocksbridge High School in Sheffield and Thrybergh Academy in Rotherham.

The donations have allowed the schools to purchase dongles and laptop cameras to aid in their online teaching.

Head teacher of Stocksbridge High School, Andy Ireland, said: “The donation from the GFG Foundation is greatly appreciated. It has been a challenge to support all our students with remote learning but help from the local community has been invaluable throughout the pandemic.”

David Burnham, head teacher of Thrybergh Academy, added: “The cameras are a vital aid to teachers modelling their lessons for the students. We are immensely grateful for the GFG Foundation’s support as we continue to deal with the challenges of home-learning and ensuring that all our students are able to progress with their studies.”

The GFG Foundation, which was founded by LIBERTY Steel Group’s CEO Sanjeev Gupta in 2017, works with mentors from sites across the business, inspiring students with technology, engineering and science through mentoring and engagement.

Manager of the GFG Foundation, Claire Neilson, said: “Inspiring young people to pursue science and engineering is our key aim but in the current circumstances, helping local schools to keep all their students motivated and engaged in any way possible is the most important thing.

“We are looking forward to the time that mentors from LIBERTY Steel’s Stocksbridge and Rotherham sites will be able to return to schools and support students in their studies.”

Throughout the pandemic, thousands of young people in the region have been left falling behind with their studies as a result of the ‘digital divide’.

Businesses and individuals, including those who have donated to the Laptops for Kids campaign, have been helping to close the gap.

Launched by The Star, WANdisco and Learn Sheffield in September 2020, the campaign has now started to be scaled up across the North of England, including Doncaster, Newcastle, and other locations.

For more information, to donate devices or to make a cash donation, visit: www.LTFK.co.uk

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.