British Technology Company UKFast to Underscore Commitment to Local Education


25 December 2017


British technology company UKFast is to underscore its commitment to local education through the development of new Raspberry Pi ‘cafés’ for schools in England. UKFast, which has headquarters in Manchester in the northwest of England, helps businesses “grow online through speed and innovation”. The company’s services extend to managed hosting, cloud (public, private and hybrid cloud solutions) and colocation options. It operates its own carrier-neutral data centres which include the MaNOC4 facility in Manchester. The company will establish five new cafés for schools in the Greater Manchester Area.

UKFast’s move highlights its mission to inspire youth and develop digital talent. The cafés will leverage Raspberry Pi computers – flexible and low-cost single-board computers designed in the United Kingdom with the aim of promoting computer science in schools. UKFast will provide hardware and training for the project which aims to address “gaps in digital engagement” by enabling schools to “deliver cutting-edge digital training” to enable students to learn coding. The schools involved in the project include Holy Name RC Primary School in Moss Side, St Bedes Prep School in Hulme, Alderley Edge School for Girls, The Hollins Tech College in Accrington and Factory Youth Zone in North Manchester. The investment will cost the company £100,000 and the cafés will go live early 2018.

"I am proud that we work with a hugely diverse mix of schools in some challenging areas, where we can make a real impact to young people's futures," explained UKFast’s Director of Training and Education, Aaron Saxton. "We’re seeing first-hand the potential of digital skills to change the story of these young people, to provide role models and to help them look beyond the boundaries of their local area. The Pi Café project is the perfect vehicle to inspire students to look at online technologies, programming and computer science skills."

Do you know of any other companies helping their local communities? Let us know the details. Add your comments below.



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