BRIEF:
Epsom and St Hellier NHS wanted to create a positive impact on their IT equipment that was end of life or being replaced as part of a refresh project.
However, Epsom and St Hellier NHS needed to conform with their disposal policy of complying with the Data Protection Act, GDPR, ensuring that all data bearing devices are overwritten or physically destroyed and adhere to the European WEEE Regulations.
It was essential to ensure there was a seamless process of new installations and redundant equipment being appropriately dealt with. Single points of contact, auditable closed-loop processes and for Concept to be able to demonstrate compliance were the objectives of the disposal process.
WORK:
Disposing of redundant IT and end of life computers safely, securely and compliantly is not new but the thing that takes this initiative beyond current good practice is the determination of staff at Epsom and St Helier to re-use and utilise some of the equipment or generate an income that could be used for a better purpose.
The project team at Concept believed that this could be achieved. Concept Management’s standard mode of operation was to ensure complete data security and reputation protection when disposing of redundant IT equipment and pay a rebate or revenue back to the organisations for certain equipment.
The challenge with this project was to do it free of charge and offer rebates that could be used for a charitable cause and philanthropic aim.
With this in mind, for 2020, we have teamed up with a local charity called Transforming Lives. Transforming Lives was set up by two friends, who have both left behind a life of drug addiction, are on a mission to transform other people’s lives.
Concept have furnished all the staff and volunteers with laptops, that have been overwritten, refurbished and new software installed.
All the laptops are securely wiped exceeding the Nation Cyber Security Centre security specifications and have been wiped using White Canyon WipeDrive uses a DOD 5220-m wipe pattern to wipe hard drives. This pattern overwrites data on the hard drive three times using different bit patterns.
The DOD 5220.22-m wipe pattern is required by many organisations because it’s believed to provide extra assurance that data is eradicated.
This standard was created by the National Industrial Security Program to provide guidelines for handling the disposal of classified information in the states and has earned the EAL 2+ certification.
This comprehensive certification includes laboratory testing and a source code audit to ensure it performs as advertised and meets the highest security standards.
Dedicated volunteers Andrew Farnworth and Anthony Carr are strong believers that recovery is never out of reach — no matter how hopeless someone’s situation seems. To that end the pair have launched various community projects in a bid to help people out of dire circumstances.
- The team, established a football group for people with addictions, who had mental health issues, who were in rehabilitation or had other needs.
- They began to help people with addictions and gave service users the opportunity to improve their self-esteem, handle stress, keep fit, and move forward with their lives.
- They teamed up with Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, they fund their pitch hire — and they began to play in recovery leagues.
- Adding to their huge list of community support groups, TLG set up a walking football group for the over 50s. The group, which runs every Thursday and Friday, is improving people’s fitness, wellbeing, and providing social opportunities for visitors.
- A Fat2Fit session and Community Open Age Football programme has also been established.
Mr Carr said: “The football is open to everyone to have fun and get fit.”
The inclusion team is a place to develop social skills, seek support with day to day living, a space to talk with others and open up about things that are happening in their lives.
In 2015, the Charity decided to set up a fishing group, taking service users from prison, those with mental health problems, or young, vulnerable people, to Cobden Mill on a weekly basis. The team has a particular focus on the Farnworth area.
In addition, they have launched a twice-weekly boxing session.
The friends praised Stephen Thomas, of Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, who facilitates the start-up group at Elite Thai Boxing, in Halliwell, which is near to Concept Management and is used by lots of Concept staff. The club at Wordsworth Mill is run by Alex Matvienko and top-class coaches. The professional boxers take time out to offer their services and it has been a huge success. The boxing has played a massive part in helping people to gain self-esteem, in improving wellbeing and improving discipline and social skills.
RESULTS:
The impact of this whole process has been a positive one, the goals quite simply were to take end of life IT equipment and put it to good use. Did we do what we set out to do? Yes, this was achieved and was deemed by the whole project team a success. Did we change the world? No, but we helped and will continue to help.
The project team’s goals were built around taking current resources and a desire to take something from the waste stream and re-utilise and to make somebody’s life easier and hopefully better.
“Some of these lads have been helped back into work. It is about getting their social skills back, helping them to access foodbanks, getting them housing, meeting their needs. We are not trying to save the world. We are just doing our best to help people.” said Andy
The positives to come out of the project are clear, more reuse, meaning less waste being disposed. As a project team we feel we have met expectations, we set a challenging goal and worked hard to get there and a fantastic underfunded charity has had some help.
Other than the obvious benefits the partnership has brought, it has been a great opportunity to help two great guys who sacrifice so much of their own time to this great cause.
To get involved in any of the community projects or offer assistance, telephone Anthony Carr on 07720 204 827 or Andy Farnworth on 07413 526 088.