A drive has been launched to help disadvantaged students get online during and after the coronavirus pandemic.

Capital City College Group (CCCG) has 29,000 students across three colleges - City and lslington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London – and apprenticeship provider Capital City College Training.

The Group’s Laptops4Learners campaign is calling on businesses and the community to help provide 2,500 computers and tablets and raise £250,000 to buy more equipment to enable students to study at home.

Roy O’Shaughnessy, CEO of CCCG, said: “With the UK heading back into recession and unemployment rising because of the COVID-19 crisis, it is vital that our students do not miss out on their education.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far and we’re continuing to stretch every muscle to support our students, but we know that there are many more who need our help. And with even more disadvantaged Londoners expected to enrol with us in September, we know we will need many more computers to support their education.

“With your support we can help more of our learners, so they learn effectively online and gain the skills and qualifications they need to take their next steps into higher education or their chosen career.”

The group has already provided more than £186,000 to help 577 of its learners purchase laptops since March and has helped more than 3,500 get more mobile data and better internet access.

Two thirds (67 per cent) of its students come the bottom three bands of social deprivation. Around a third (32pc) have to share a computer, laptop or tablet with their family and more than a quarter (28pc) are accessing online lessons on their mobile phones. 8pc have no technology to access online lessons at all.

The college croup is asking for new laptops or tablets for students or a financial donation towards providing this equipment.

Visit capitalccg.ac.uk/laptops4learners or donate directly at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/laptops4learners