Tech-Takeback Foundation Annual Review 2025

Tech-Takeback Foundation launches as independent registered charity and publishes 2025 impact report, reflecting a decade of digital inclusion work and a landmark year of growth

Tech-Takeback Foundation, a newly registered charity dedicated to tackling digital exclusion across the South East, has published its first annual impact report, covering 2025, the final year of operations under its predecessor organisation, Tech-Takeback Ltd.

The report reveals that 244 people were supported with refurbished laptops and digital skills training in 2025, generating an estimated £9.6 million in social value (calculated using the HACT Social Value Insights framework). Of those supported, 83 found employment, 232 accessed education or training, and 197 reported improved mental health and self-esteem.

The Foundation also supported the reuse and responsible recycling of more than 12,800 items of end-of-life technology in 2025, saving an estimated 366 tonnes of CO₂e (Scope 3) and recovering significant quantities of valuable materials including copper, aluminium, and rare earths.

From shared roots to independent charity

Tech-Takeback Foundation grew out of the digital inclusion programme previously delivered by Tech-Takeback Ltd, which began its work in 2016. In early 2026, the organisation formally separated into two distinct entities:

• Tech-Takeback Foundation (Charity no. 1216426): an independent registered charity focused entirely on digital inclusion, providing refurbished devices, internet access, and digital skills training to people facing barriers to digital participation.

• TTB CircularIT: a commercial IT asset disposal business providing certified data erasure, reuse-first processing, and circular IT services for organisations of all sizes.

The separation reflects the growth and maturity of both areas of work, and allows each organisation to focus on what it does best.

Jodi Harford, Founder of Tech-Takeback Foundation, said:

"2025 was a year that reminded us why this work matters. Behind every refurbished laptop we distributed was a person who needed it — a care leaver trying to finish her college course, a man rebuilding his life after homelessness, a family doing their best in an increasingly online world.

"We could have reached far more people. By the end of 2025, we were receiving over 100 applications for laptops every week and could fulfil around 25 of them. That gap — and the urgent need to close it — is what made the case for establishing the Foundation as an independent charity, with its own governance, its own funding, and the freedom to grow."

The human impact

The report includes the story of Chloe, 19, a care leaver who was struggling to complete her online college course without a laptop. Isolated and becoming depressed, Chloe received a refurbished device and digital skills support through Tech-Takeback's programme. Six months later, she was studying, working part-time, in more stable housing, and reporting improved confidence and mood.

"My laptop has everything I need to complete my assignments," Chloe said. "Providing a laptop for a total stranger — that's just an amazing thing to do. Thank you so much."

Looking ahead

As an independent charity, Tech-Takeback Foundation is now actively seeking partnerships with individuals, businesses, and grant-making bodies to fund its digital inclusion programme. The Foundation offers two support pathways: Tech Access, which provides a refurbished device and basic impact reporting, and Tech Empower, a fully supported package including internet access, digital skills training, and six-month follow-up, with an average verified social value of £39,400 per person supported.

Donations to Tech-Takeback Foundation qualify for Gift Aid, increasing the value of every pound donated.

Tech‑Takeback Foundation
Reusing Tech. Rebuilding Lives.