A single mum suffering from long Covid has praised a primary school for providing a free laptop to help with home-schooling.
Victoria Bewick, 41, from West Rainton, contacted West Rainton Primary School for technology support after losing her job last year.
Ms Bewick left her role of store manager at the British Heart Foundation in Chester-le-Street after nine years to provide full-time supervision for her six-year-old daughter, Amelia.
The family's tablet device, which Amelia had used for school work earlier in the year, broke and the single mum struggled to find the funds to pay for a new one.
Ms Bewick said: "When the first lockdown came in I was struggling with childcare and I had to make the decision to leave. The schools were shutting and I had nobody else to look after Amelia.
"I had to borrow money to get my daughter a tablet to ensure that she would be able to do the work she was given. But that broke as we were going into the third lockdown."
West Rainton Primary School purchased 20 laptops on top of its allocation from the Government, as well as supporting families with connectivity sim cards to provide free internet access.
ChronicleLive has helped launch the Cash for Connectivity campaign - a £1.2 million emergency fundraiser to help provide free internet to 100,000 disadvantaged households so children can learn at home during lockdown.
And single mum Ms Bewick said the campaign will be key to helping families get connected and for children learn from home.
"Since we brought the laptop home from school it's been an absolute godsend," she added.
"As a single parent not working I haven't got the money to get things like that for my daughter.
"It was the worst Christmas ever not having anything, but being able to get this laptop from the school has been a massive help and the money that I have got has helped us get our online shopping."
Ms Bewick tested positive for Covid-19 on December 27, and despite self-isolating for 14 days, is now suffering the effects of long Covid.
She explained: "My whole body feels like I've been hit by a bus. It was a massive weight of my shoulders to know that Amelia can work online and still be a part of the school.
"It's giving her something to do compared to last year because there's only so much work you can do as a parent. I take my hat off to all teachers."
Receiving the laptop has also added a better learning structure to Amelia's school day with children logging on and taking part in lessons online.
Ms Bewick said: "It's made me think of how the children are learning better. Amelia's loving it and she knows what she's doing on the laptop better than me.
"I've still told her that she still has to have a routine as if it's normal school from when the first lesson starts, but she's easily adapted to that."
Alison McDonough, headteacher at West Rainton Primary School, said the school signed up to The National Grid For Learning's 'Bridge the Divide' scheme which helps increase access to devices and technology for children, including those disadvantaged.
Mrs McDonough said: "We have got some key worker children in a classroom and the rest work from home, but it hasn't been a big shock to us.
"We had a few closures due to Covid outbreaks in the autumn so we had a trial period to see how it worked.
"Parents have said how much they love it because it's removed the pressure from them and they are in the background supporting and not having to learn the curriculum as well."
