How Can I Help?

You can support ITSAs mission to create positive lives in Africa in the following ways:

• Donating IT Equipment
• Sponsorship and Funding
• Volunteering
• School Linking Programme

For further information, please visit How You Can Help section of this website.

Where are you based?

We are based in Cheltenham. Our address is Unit 8, Mead Road Industrial Estate, Mead Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7EF. We can be found opposite Travis Perkins Building Supplies.

What are the minimum acceptable specifications for computer and laptop donations to ITSA?

• Pentium III processor
• 800 Mhz processor speed
• 256Mb of Ram
• 20Gb hard drive
• Monitors (screens) should be 15-17 inches
• All items should be in working order

How do I know if my PC meets minimum requirements?

The easiest way to get a rough idea is to look on the front of the machine. If you see an orange and blue badge that says 'Pentium 4' then it definitely meets our minimum requirements. If there is a badge that says 'Pentium iii', then it is probably okay. Also, if your PC is currently running on the Microsoft XP operating system it will be good enough to ship to Africa. Badges that state 'Pentium', 'Pentium i' or 'pentium ii' are a good indication that the machine is too old for us.

I'm worried about the data left on the machine I want to donate. Can you reassure me that it will be destroyed?

We have a very strict security proceedure to ensure the destruction of all data. In the first stage, all donated machines have their hard drives removed immediately on arrival at our warehouse. In the second stage, the drives are taken to our refurbishment unit where they are attached to our wiping station, and under close monitoring they are wiped using defence standard software. This over-writes random data over any existing data three times. The third security stage involves careful inspection of each drive to ensure that all the sectors on the drive only contain random data.

What other IT equipment do you accept?

• We will gratefully receive any accompanying modems, mice, keyboards, cables, power leads, memory, hubs, switches, network cards, other peripheral parts and any educational CDs
• We gladly accept working laser desktop printers, provided they are accompanied by power adaptors
• We cannotaccept inkjet printers and printers that are broken
• We dont accept telephone equipment, dot matrix printers, photocopiers, projectors or fax machines
  

Are you compliant with the WEEE legislation?

Yes, we are fully compliant with the EU WEEE Directive which encourages re-use of equipment over recycling.

Are there any costs involved?

• ITSA does not charge for receipt of IT equipment but any monetary donations are always gratefully received
• ITSA encourages computer donors to cover the cost of delivery to our warehouse in Cheltenham

Do you accept deliveries?

Yes, we accept deliveries to our Cheltenham warehouse. Please call to book delivery in advance: 01242 228800.

Can I find out who my computer benefits?

Yes, ITSA can provide details about the recipients of your IT equipment in Africa.

What happens to the computers at end-of-life in Africa?

In Africa we work with Desco Electronic Recyclers to collect the computers at the end of their working life and recycle all the different parts separately. Desco are committed to storing and processing electronic waste in an environmentally friendly manner.

For any further enquiries please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it