Digital Inclusion
Despite Belgium being one of the wealthiest countries 1 child out of 6 lives in poverty.
Poverty impacts health, social exclusion and education heavily. Teachers report the increasing gap for students to have adequate access to an electronic device at home for learning purposes. The COVID pandemic has accelerated the importance of online learning, increasing the digital gap even more.
Those who cannot access the online courses risk being left behind.
We at Weerts we hope that we can make a small difference in the massive move to hybrid and blended learning through our WPC initiative.
The Purpose
Weerts Personal Computers for Education (WPC) is a non-profit organization created to make as many functional laptops as possible available to children mainly between 10 en 14 years of age who do not own one because they live in a more vulnerable family. We aim for digital inclusion for all.
Digital Inclusion is about ensuring that the benefits of digital technologies are available to everyone so young people get motivation and confidence to build their future.
To help young people building their future we organize ourselves to engage for more than providing the laptop. We also provide internet access through our Partner Proximus.
New to that WPC collaborates with non-profit organizations delivering quality education. And WPC recently also started to work directly with mayors that direct us to school principals for further collaboration around digital inclusion within their educational system. WPC is open for further ideas and collaboration to use digital technology to promote inclusivity.
The Promise
The project is set up in the philosophy of the 1% Pledge who invites all entrepreneurs to integrate philanthropy into their business. We are committed to work towards fulfilling our pledge, and as we grow, giving back more to the local and global community we are part of.
For 2021, we have secured more than 800 laptops for this purpose, and our ambition is to have the program grow proportionally with the growth of our business.
Donating equity, time, and product fits with our goal and pursuance of being a socially responsible company.
New
laptops
The laptops made available will come both from (1) responsible reconditioning and recirculation of used laptops from the pool of laptops of all entities of Weerts Group and donating third parties, and (2) new laptops purchased thanks to financial contributions.
The laptops will be ready for use and equipped with essential software and antivirus.
Free
Wifi
In addition, our partner Proximus offer free Wifi for children who do not have access to internet at home.
Laptop
bag
A modern laptop bag made of textile.
Loan-Own
Agreement
Use of the laptop in a loan agreement; however, the children who fully comply with the terms of the loan agreement (essentially those who take good care of the laptop), can keep the laptop at the end of the loan term.
Distribution
The laptops are distributed through the intermediation of educational institutions who identify eligible recipients.The handover happens in a private and confidential setting.
Press
WPC chooses for a personal approach, meaning all laptops will be first handed over by Alexia Weerts.
ACTV
The holiday season was somewhat anticipated for 226 schoolchildren in Leuven. Indeed, 12 schools of the entity belonging to the free and official networks volunteered to accompany their 5th grade students in a very particular learning: the efficient use of a laptop. In order to do this, the children obviously needed to have the tool to tame and this has been the case since this morning when 226 laptops were distributed.
Read more →
TALim and Weerts Group
TALim is part of the ‘Sint-Vincentius Limburg' foundation. TALim works with vulnerable teenagers who need a little extra help to find and develop their talents, courses are organized on Saturday by volunteers out of the industry. WPC provides laptop for the children that follow the courses on Saturday organized by Talim.
Weerts Group
supports primary and secondary school students
More than ever, having a computer at home has become essential for any child in school.
Read more →Meet Alexia
The project is implemented by Alexia Weerts. She will personally get in touch with the families and partners, she will follow and steer closely this project. The aim is to provide a means of access to education outside the school grounds.
Funding
Funding
WPC is created by Weerts Group in collaboration with the Belgian King Baudouin Foundation. Weerts intend to leverage the project by entering into structural partnerships with PC suppliers and by offering 3rd parties the opportunity to participate through a variety of formulas such as donating laptops or donating money, volunteer for IT training and so on.
Where we are
The group has been active in the Liège region since 1960s and wants to take its social responsibility with the creation of the project by giving back to the regions we have worked with at first and then spread further over the country.
Our partners
Ketchum is one of the leading communication consultancies worldwide and in Belgium. Building reputations of brands, companies and organizations, both on the local Belgian market as well as on the international market in Brussels, is at the core of our business. https://www.ketchum.com/brussels/
Proximus is the leading telecommunications operator in Belgium. The group is a member of the DigitAll ecosystem, which aims to bridge the digital divide.
In 2021, Proximus will offer an Internet connection to 20,000 Belgians in precarious situations. https://www.proximus.be/fr/
Centralpoint is the largest IT reseller in the Benelux and advises on tangible IT solutions. Centralpoint’s goal is to help organisations put IT central and to ensure the IT environment works without any problems so that companies can focus on supporting and innovating their business. In offering these solutions, Centralpoint always keeps in mind to act in a socially responsible way with its stakeholders. https://www.centralpoint.be/fr/
Facts about our initiatives
Happy people
Weerts aims to create Happy Profit. This starts with Happy People. Initiatives have been taken to create an attractive working environment. One of the returns was winning the 2020 Logistics Employer of the Year 2020 Award.
Employment
Weerts Group commits to further contribute to its stakeholders and to society by creating employment and economic activity.
Sustainable building
Apart from multiple initiatives to improve the quality of the working environment at Weerts Group, we also pay particular attention to sustainable building standards in the multiple construction projects we are engaged in. In this respect, we are defining a BREEAM strategy for the whole of our portfolio.
Solar panels
Weerts Group currently has an installed base of solar panels with an estimated annual production of more than 11,000 MWh, with a goal to reach 50,000 MWh by 2023, saving approx. 5,000,000 kilograms of CO2
About Weerts Group
Weerts Group is a family-owned group, headquartered in Liège, Belgium, active in 4 key complementary sectors: Real Estate, Logistics, Motorsport and Renewable Energy. For more information, see www.weerts-group.com/csr/
Weerts Supply Chain
logistics
The Logistics division is the legacy business of what used to be the integrated transport and logistics player, Transports Weerts & Fils. It currently operates an aggregate of ca. 300,000 sqm and employs more than 600 FTEs across 7 different sites. It serves +140 clients in four main sectors: food, household and electronics, automotive and pharmaceuticals.
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Weerts Real Estate
real estate
The Real Estate division is Weerts Group’s platform for pan-European real estate developments and investments in the Logistics, Semi-Industrial, Office and Residential sectors.
Weerts Real Estate
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Weerts Logistics Parks
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W-Racing Team
motorsport
motorsport Team WRT is a professional autosport racing team, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Baudour, Belgium. By end 2021 WRT proudly won 49 titles. In 2021 Team WRT runs race programs in FIA WEC, European Le Mans Series, GT World Challenge Europe, ADAC GT Masters and Intercontinental GT Challenge.
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