Mobile phones donated to support victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault 

Virgin Media O2 Business has donated over 500 mobile phones to help victims and survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault living in East Anglia. The phones will be distributed in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk via support services.
Through a recent police contract with 7F Commercial Services*, Virgin Media O2 Business offered to donate new mobile phones to Leeway, Catch-22, and Mountain Healthcare free-of-charge as part of their social value commitment. The donated devices will enable service users of the registered support services to have access to a safe phone to contact support, emergency services, and family, if they do not have access to a phone already. This is important as, in some circumstances, mobile phones have been broken or confiscated by perpetrators.
Some of the phones will come with free SIM cards and mobile data from the National Databank – which was founded by Virgin Media O2 and the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation. The National Databank is a like a food bank but for free data, texts and calls, helping to connect people in need.
Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore, said “Supporting victims is a key responsibility for me as Police and Crime Commissioner. We commission many services to support victims to help them cope with the immediate impact of crime, and, as far as possible, recover from the effects.
“I absolutely support this ‘social benefits’ approach. Funding is always tight and anything we can do to work with the commercial sector to access additional funding to support this work gets my full support.
“I know from speaking to victims just how devastating it is to be denied something as basic as the ability to talk to family and friends. I hope these phones provide a useful lifeline for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault to feel more secure and less isolated.
“I would like to thank Virgin Media O2 and 7F Commercial Services for embracing this innovative project, it really will make a difference to victims.”
Charlotte Hails, Head of Public Sector Vertical Strategy at Virgin Media O2 Business, said: “As a former senior police officer who specialised in Safeguarding and Public Protection, I know first-hand that mobile phones and connectivity are critical to ensuring victims and survivors are not isolated and can receive support. By partnering with local organisations in East Anglia, Virgin Media O2 Business is helping ensure victims and survivors receive the smartphones and data they need. This builds on our commitment to support police forces and communities across the UK to improve public safety and reduce crime.”
* 7F Commercial Services uses collaborative buying power for all seven police forces in the eastern region, which includes the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent, to obtain better value for money from their contracts.