Surrey CCC have donated 25 Apple computers to local primary schools – after a grant enabled a full technical refit of the Ben Hollioake Learning Centre at the Kia Oval.
The centre, which has recently opened for its eighteenth consecutive academic year, was opened in 2006 as a tribute to the late Ben Hollioake, who passed away in a car accident at the age of 24 in March 2002. It hosts two school time classes a day, as well as three after school clubs for local primary schools every week.
What does the Ben Hollioake Centre do?
A traditional morning or afternoon class at the centre will see young people walk to the Kia Oval from their schools and then enjoy two 45 minute sessions, computing and cricket. During their computing class, young people will be taught key skills such as coding, touch typing and video and audio editing. During the cricket sessions, young people will be given a general introduction to the game and the concepts of batting, bowling and fielding – expanding their knowledge and experience as sessions mount up.
Approximately 1,000 young people pass through the BHLC every year – meaning all primary school aged children attending schools in Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall will be highly likely to have spent a significant amount of time there during their school career.
When it opened, the centre was equipped with 27 state of the art Apple computers. These have been maintained over the years but were replaced this summer with a new fleet of 27 newer machines, improving the experience of the young people using the centre and ‘future proofing’ the technology for a generation to come.
Previously, schools paid a small amount for the sessions – to help cover costs – but in 2022 Surrey CCC invested a further £50,000 a year in the BHLC to make all sessions free of charge and allow partner schools to spend the money on other areas of their budgets.
Where have the old computers been donated to?
The computers have been donated to the local schools who use the centre on a day by day basis: Asmole, Wyvil, Herbert Morrison, St. Mark’s, St. Anne’s and Vauxhall.
Schools are using the Macs for a variety of purposes, including upgrading their libraries, enhancing their school networks or donating them to families in their school communities who might not currently have a computer at home.
Five computers have also been donated to the Black Prince Trust, a local charity and sports hub, who will use them to start a new homework club for local young people who already attend the BPT for after school sports sessions.
Jon Surtees, Head of Community, Public Affairs and Projects at Surrey CCC, said: “The Ben Hollioake Learning Centre is a very special place at the Kia Oval, both for the work that is done there by local young people every day and the permanent tribute it pays to Ben, someone who will always mean a huge amount to everyone in the Surrey Family.
“When we learned we would be able to upgrade all 27 computers in the centre, it was vitally important that we made a positive difference locally with the old computers, so we were delighted to be able to work with some of the brilliant primary schools on our doorstep to help them improve what they are able to offer to the young people and families in their school communities.”
