As well as 14 new iPads and 14 new Chromebooks, the £15k Connecting Scotland funding also paid for 16 MiFi boxes allowing two years unlimited access to the internet.

Melville tenant Andrew Hiddleston said: “I couldn’t believe it when Melville got in touch to offer me a Chromebook, it was like Christmas had come early. I work as an ambassador for a charity called get2gether that helps disabled adults live a more fulfilled life, and my new Chromebook has really helped with this. This is a brilliant scheme and I’d just like to say a huge thank to everyone involved but especially to Melville for thinking of me.”

Melville, based in Dalkeith, had previously worked with Connecting Scotland on a number of initiatives including training staff as ‘digital champions’ to support people to use the internet confidently and safely.

John McMorrow, Melville chief executive, added: “One thing the pandemic has shown us is the importance of digital services and having good, reliable access to the internet. It’s fantastic to hear examples like this where, with the help of Connecting Scotland, we’ve been able to make a real difference. We’re now looking at other ways we can deliver even more services digitally while making sure that none of our customers are excluded. Funding like this really helps.”

Connecting Scotland is managed by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and was set up by the Scottish Government in order to get 60,000 digitally excluded households online.