A number of families in the Greater Shankill area have been given iPads as part of a scheme designed to bridge the technology gap among primary school children in the area and support home learning.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic and a greater reliance on technology as a means of educational development, an audit carried out by the Shankill Principals’ Forum found a deficit of more than 100 devices in homes across the Greater Shankill area. Staff at the Greater Shankill Children and Young People’s Action Zone undertook to source devices to address this shortfall.

Support was provided through donations from Santander to the Queen’s University Belfast Foundation, and the Public Engagement Department at Queen’s, to allow over 40 families to be gifted iPads.