A COMPUTER firm is helping schoolchildren in the region brush up on their IT skills at home while also working to save the planet into the bargain.

Express IT, based in County Durham, is taking redundant computers from companies, local schools and public sector authorities that it works with, and refurbishing them to give to children in the community to help them with their schoolwork.

The innovative approach by the Birtley company to recycling equipment has been hailed as an example of how procurement can be used to benefit the North-East community while also contributing to the regional economy.

The North-East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), which is running the Buy North East campaign in conjunction with The Northern Echo to highlight the positive benefits of regional procurement, called on local authorities to recognise companies such as Express IT that found new ways to give wider benefits when doing public sector work.

Research from NECC has revealed that the regional economy would increase by £1.35bn, and an extra 6,000 direct jobs would be created, if the public sector spent an additional one per cent each year to 2016 contracting services from the North-East rather than from outside the region.

Ross Smith, head of policy and research at NECC, said: “Too often, public sector bodies award contracts purely on cost. Express IT has found a clever way of showing how work for local authorities can have far wider benefits than just delivering the basic contract.

“By refurbishing these machines to give to students for their homework, the company is benefiting the community, and helping its clients to do the same.”

Express IT supplies and installs computer systems as well as stripping and recycling old systems. It also provides IT and help-desk support.

The company works with a range of organisations including public sector authorities, schools and businesses, refurbishing their IT systems, sanitising and wiping the hard disks to remove any sensitive data to ensure the computer can be reused elsewhere.

John Hopkinson, managing director of Express IT, said: “This project really does tick all the boxes as far as being eco-friendly and is an ideal way to give everyone the opportunity of owning a computer.

We believe that by working with local schools, businesses and other organisations we can make a difference for people in the North- East of England.”

NECC’s Buy North East campaign encourages greater levels of trading between local authorities in the region and North East business.

Mr Smith added: “All too often businesses or public sector organisations don’t realise the expertise and experience of businesses on their doorsteps. If they were to look more readily to businesses in the North East to supply or provide them with the services they need, it would give a huge boost to the regional economy. This is precisely the kind of extra value we are encouraging through Buy North East.”