Cambridge Online is proud to sponsor an exciting evening with David Cleevely CBE, serial entrepreneur, former chairman of Raspberry Pi, and founder of organisations including Abcam, Cambridge Angels, Analysys, and the Cambridge Network.

David is also the author of “Serendipity: It Doesn’t Happen by Accident”, and in this talk he will explore how many breakthroughs do not come from careful planning but from unexpected encounters — and how to benefit from this.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday 28th April 2026, 5pm
• Venue: The Bradfield Centre, Cambridge
• Cost: Free entry and drinks

Get your free tickets on Eventbrite

With support from Mishcon de Reya.

Sustainable Tech 4 Good (ST4G) and Cambridge Online are delighted to announce that they are launching a county-wide campaign to significantly increase the gifting of mobile phones to those in need.

Working together, we have created a cardboard dump bin that will allow organisations to appeal directly to employees and members of the public encouraging them to make donations of unwanted phones. These receptacles can be delivered to the selected venues and collected on demand, so there is no cost to the host.

Research shows that the average adult has between two and three redundant mobile phones at home, often sat unused in a drawer. These can quickly be refurbished and then gifted to an individual who lacks even a simple device – giving them access to important services such as online shopping, internet banking, emails, social networks, and NHS apps.

The Good Things Foundation has recently calculated that “being offline” costs an individual on average over £400 a year, and sometimes three times this amount — so even a basic device can make a big difference to a person’s livelihood.

The locations of the dump bins will be listed and mapped on Cambridge Online’s website, and we can accept any mobile device whatever the age and model – but we ask donors to please reset and unlock the phone before they are donated, as this significantly reduces the work involved in refurbishing the devices.

If you know of someone who might be prepared to host a collection bin, please encourage them to contact our Office Manager and we would be delighted to explain the process.

Contact: taron@cambridgeonline.org.uk | Tel: 01223 800450

About Cambridge Online

Cambridge Online helps over 2,000 individuals a year from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to access online services safely and confidently. Training and support is provided at more than 20 community centres and public spaces, with live details readily available via its website. The charity’s services are free and open to all.

In partnership with Sustainable Tech 4 Good, Cambridge Online collects and refurbishes laptops, tablets and mobile phones for gifting to the public and needy individuals. Over £28,000 of devices were gifted in 2025.

About Sustainable Tech 4 Good

Sustainable Tech 4 Good has been supporting digital inclusion since 2020, working with businesses and other organisations to securely data erase and refurbish excess tech for sustainable reuse, and has helped well over 7,000 people in need with devices. All devices donated are securely handled by ST4G, enabling their safe onward reuse to support digital inclusion.

To find out more about ST4G’s solutions, please email hello@sustainabletech4good.co.uk

As part of its continual improvement programme, Cambridge Online is about to test an enhanced model which it hopes will dramatically increase the support it can offer to users.

From January, it will offer members of the public who visit its outreach centres across Fenland the option of a follow-up call(s). For example, the charity will be able to recap on the learning, answer further questions, send over useful guides, and supply relevant links to help candidates continue their digital journey.

The calls will be made by a Cambridge Online volunteer, and the information and data will be kept strictly confidential via its state of the art GDPR system.

Users can opt out at any time — once they have achieved their immediate goals, or when they feel that all their questions have been answered. They will also be encouraged to contact the charity again in the future if they need further advice or guidance.

Alba Bravo Gonzalez (Cambridge Online’s Operations Manager) commented: “We understand that the digital learning process can be time-consuming and worrying for many. By offering this new, enhanced level of support, we believe that individuals will be better able to advance their digital skills, and the impact and outcomes of our essential work will be magnified.”

If the trial is successful, the charity will look to extend this service across all its operations in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

About Cambridge Online

Cambridge Online helps over 2,000 individuals a year from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to access online services safely and confidently. Training and support is provided at over 20 community centres and public spaces, with live details readily available via its website. The charity’s services are free and open to all.

Cambridge Online (in partnership with Sustainable Tech 4 Good) also collects and refurbishes laptops, tablets and mobile phones for gifting to the public and needy individuals. Anyone wishing to apply for a device can visit its website page and make an application.

Cambridge Online, a charity dedicated to promoting digital inclusion, is delighted to announce that David Cleevely has joined as its latest patron.

Dr David Cleevely CBE FREng FIET is a serial technology entrepreneur, investor, and one of the founding figures of the Cambridge Cluster. He has founded or co-founded more than a dozen organisations, including Cambridge Angels, Cambridge Network, Cambridge Wireless, Cambridge Ahead, and the Cambridge Science Centre.

A long-standing advocate for innovation, education, and digital inclusion, David has advised Government on technology policy for over two decades and chairs Chemify and Focal Point Positioning. He was appointed CBE in 2013 for services to technology and innovation.

About Cambridge Online

Every year, Cambridge Online helps over 2,000 individuals from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to access online services safely and confidently. Training and support is provided at over 20 community centres and public spaces, with live details readily available via its website. The charity’s services are free and open to all.

Cambridge Online (in partnership with Sustainable Tech 4 Good) also collects and refurbishes laptops, tablets and mobile phones for gifting to the public and needy individuals. Anyone wishing to apply for a device can visit its website page and make an application.

Cambridge Online is delighted to announce that it has secured £36k of funding to help promote digital inclusion in Fenland.

The scheme is being sponsored by DSIT (Department for Science, Innovation and Trade), as part of a nationwide initiative where 80 innovative digital skills and support schemes received government funding to help the most vulnerable in communities get online with confidence.

People in every region of the country will benefit, from disadvantaged young people to elderly people and the homeless, through an expanded fund as part of the government’s push to close the digital divide. These are community-led initiatives to get people the skills and access to devices they need — delivering national renewal by boosting employment opportunities, saving people money, improving health and making life easier.

As part of the project, Cambridge Online will help create at least 5 digital hubs across the region, offering free support to local citizens. Sessions are already being delivered in Wisbech, Ramsey, Whittlesey, March, Chatteris and Ely — and other locations are constantly being assessed, including residential homes. The latest locations and timings can be found on the Cambridge Online website.

Marcus Whewell, the Charity’s CEO commented: “We feel very fortunate to be awarded this money, but we also recognise the responsibility to use this as effectively as possible. This is a great opportunity to help a region that has significant issues around income deprivation, education, health, and digital exclusion — and this funding will make a real difference to people’s lives.

The early response from the community has been amazing, and we have already started working with local groups across Fenland to reach out to those most in need.”

The charity’s success was recently featured on ITV regional news.

About Cambridge Online

Cambridge Online helps over 2,000 individuals a year from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to access online services safely and confidently. Training and support is provided at over 20 community centres and public spaces, with live details readily available via its website. The charity’s services are free and open to all.

Cambridge Online (in partnership with Sustainable Tech 4 Good) also collects and refurbishes laptops, tablets and mobile phones for gifting to the public and needy individuals. Anyone wishing to apply for a device can visit its website page and make an application.