Homeless in Cornwall offered laptops by council

Homeless people and others without internet access in Cornwall are to be lent laptop computers and tablets.

Cornwall Council said the initiative, involving homeless charity St Petrocs, would help those without the connectivity "many of us take for granted".

St Petrocs would lend devices to those it was supporting and provide training, the council said.

This would enable access to work and healthcare services, it added.

The council said about 13% of residents in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in 2019 had never used the internet, and a quarter of adults lacked basic digital skills, with many having "no access to the kind of connectivity many of us take for granted".

"As training, healthcare, and other services are increasingly going online, it's vital they are not left behind," it added.

The council said its digital inclusion team had trained six St Petrocs staff to help with the technology.

The initiative would also see devices loaned through partner organisations "in return for data about the impact the new kit is having", it added.

Melissa Winstanley, from St Petrocs, said: "A lot of our clients don't have access to IT.

"They want to be able to enhance their skills, which going forward will help them find suitable courses and progress into suitable work."

Cornwall Council cabinet member Richard Pears said the authority was keen to work with more partners on the scheme and said any organisation was eligible to apply.