Frequently Asked Questions

We have provided the answers to frequently asked questions that arise for Businesses donating PCs.

If you do not find the answers here then please contact ReCOM by telephone 0121 765 5282 or e:mail info@recom.org.uk

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What is involved in donating?

You will find a Donation Form for businesses. Download the form, print it out, complete it and send it to ReCOM. Or complete it in Word and email the completed document to us.

What are the benefits to our business of donating our equipment to ReCOM?

Donating equipment to ReCOM will:

Streamline disposal of used working equipment,
Eliminate transfer and/or storage costs,
Reduce administrative time and expenses,
Enhance your philanthropic efforts within the community and show you take Corporate Social Responsibility seriously,

At a minimum cost to your business

What are the benefits to me to donate?

It will relieve you of the responsibility of disposing of your equipment and help people in need in your community.

What equipment can I donate?

ReCOM and its partners prefer to accept whole desktop systems consisting of a processor, monitor, keyboard and mouse.

However, we can usually accept a wide variety of items including Notebooks, Laptops; PC base units (partial systems); and Monitors; Keyboards, Mice.

All equipment must be clean and in working order.

What are your minimum specifications for donations?

PCs must be at least a Pentium 4/1.8ghz (or Athlon equivalent). MACs cannot be accepted at this time. Our aim is to match applicants’ needs against offered donations and it is necessary for us to specify a minimum level in order to achieve this end.

What can I do with a lower specification of PC?

You may like to look at www.itforcharities.co.uk, which lists recyclers around the country who provide refurbished PC's to charities, some of whom may take lower specification PCs. Otherwise commercial recyclers often provide a donation channel. You can find regional recyclers on www.wasteonline.org.uk.

Some of our partners are prepared to handle a small quantity of lower specification equipment as part of a larger donation but may charge for this.

Can I donate the software on my PC?

Yes, as long as you send the original licence and documentation.

Will I know where the donated PC's are going?

Your PC will be passed to a voluntary organisation that helps disadvantaged people. Many of the projects we support give adults and children "hands-on" use for skills training, education, work experience, independent living etc. There will, of course, be a delay between receiving your equipment and its eventual use. It is not therefore always possible to say exactly where individual donations will be use. Examples of organisations we have helped in the past are in our Information section.

How can we be assured that our disks have been wiped entirely clean before they are handed over to a beneficiary?

One of the eligibility criteria for partners is that they carry out data wiping to a recognised standard.