Recycle IT

Ex-Cell partners Manchester Aspire Ltd to supply refurbished IT equipment exclusively to Computer Aid International — the world’s largest non-profit supplier of computers to developing countries.

Ormand Williams, Director of Manchester Aspire Ltd said “This is a triple good news day! Firstly it creates a greater continuity of work for them, which provides a greater continuity of employment for ex-prisoners and a greater number of paid placements for Ex-Cell. Secondly, they can clearly demonstrate to their donors where their donated IT equipment will end up — and show the good use to which it is being put in the schools and third sector organisations of the developing world. And thirdly, it shows their continuing commitment to the increasingly important world-wide enviromental agenda”

Recycle-IT started out as a funded social enterprise. When the funding ended the Director of Ex-Cell, Dave Nicholson worked to turn the organisation into a cooperative, meaning a business owned and run jointly by its members.

Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Establishing cooperatives is now a key element in Ex-Cell’s success as people are treated as colleagues, not service users. There is equality and the wish to help one another to have a life that does not include crime.