Virgin Media O2 donates 100’s of devices to Gordon Brown’s Multibank charity

Virgin Media O2 has partnered with Gordon Brown’s The Multibank anti-poverty charity to distribute 100’s of refurbished smartphones with free O2 mobile data to people experiencing financial hardship across the UK.

The initiative will see devices processed and distributed through The Multibank, the charity founded by the former Prime Minister, with initial deployment via Multibanks in Fife, Swansea and Tees Valley. Delivery is being handled through Virgin Media O2’s Community Calling programme in partnership with environmental charity Hubbub.

The partnership supports Virgin Media O2’s wider commitment to donate up to 12,000 devices during 2025 to people unable to afford a smartphone or mobile connectivity. According to the Good Things Foundation’s Digital Nation 2025report, around 1.6 million adults in the UK still do not have access to a smartphone, tablet or laptop.

 The initiative forms part of the operator’s Better Connections Plan, which aims to connect one million digitally excluded people through a combination of free and affordable connectivity, device reuse and community-led distribution.

While The Multibank has traditionally focused on redistributing essential non-food items such as clothing and household goods, digital connectivity has become an increasingly important part of its support offer as public services, employment and education continue to move online.

Virgin Media O2 said the collaboration is designed to ensure devices reach those most at risk of digital exclusion. Multibanks work closely with schools, health professionals and other frontline organisations to identify eligible recipients, including people who have been made redundant, young people leaving care, refugees and survivors of domestic abuse.

The operator said access to a connected device is now essential for everyday tasks such as booking GP appointments, applying for jobs, accessing training, securing accommodation and maintaining contact with support networks.

Nicola Green, Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “By working with The Multibank, we’re able to put phones and mobile data directly into the hands of people who need it most. It builds on our ongoing efforts to tackle digital exclusion through Community Calling, the National Databank and our social tariffs.”

Gordon Brown said connectivity should be treated as a basic utility, highlighting that 45 per cent of households with children are below the Minimum Digital Living Standard.