Alumnus Peter Paduh recognised as a 'COVID hero' in The Independent's happy list 2021

Peter Paduh was recognised for spreading positivity and happiness during the pandemic by helping hundreds of vulnerable people to stay connected with their friends and family and avoid loneliness by providing them with unused laptops. SocialBox.Biz distributed the technology to charities that work with the elderly, homeless, and refugees in the UK Capital, such as Age UK London and the Refugee Support Network.

SocialBox.Biz is a social enterprise which aims to eliminate digital exclusion in London. They have previously delivered over 1,000 unused laptops to charities across the country, including the British Red Cross. Peter Paduh’s inspiration to start up this company came from earlier in his life, when he came to the UK as a refugee from the Balkans in 1993 and a turning point in his life was when he received a free computer not long after he arrived. 

In the article, Paduh said: “Many people who previously relied on human contact were left isolated. From older people in care homes and to refugees, hundreds of thousands are in need. Our initiative provides computers to empower vulnerable, disadvantaged people to gain access to the internet, to enable and to promote the principle of self-determination via the access to internet.”

Peter added: "If you're a company or organisation, we need your old laptops and other no longer needed technology now for our long-standing initiative. The pandemic has shone a light on digital poverty and we have a manifesto, which includes eradicating digital poverty by 2030."