Mandurah-based computer restoration charity Mandurah Muscateers received a large donation of computer gear from the Health Consumers Council on Thursday.
Mandurah Muscateers refurbish computers and make them available at heavily discounted prices for community support organisations and low income people.
Health Consumers Council is a health promotion charity advocating for the rights of health consumers across Western Australia.
The council donated 12 desktop computers, two laptops and two tablets.
After receiving a $200,000 IT grant from Lottery West, the council had spare computers and wanted a to dispose of them in a sustainable way
Operations manager Sheree Mears said the council was happy to donate the IT gear.
“We applied for an IT grant with Lottery West and we were successful because our computers were really old and we didn’t have money to upgrade s we went for the grant and decided to pay it forward to another charity,” she said.
Ms Mears said Mandurah Muscateers had helped her out in the past so she was proud to give back to them.
During university Ms Mears said she purchased a computer from the group at a discounted rate.
“The Mandurah Muscateers I heard about them… between five to ten years ago when I used them and I brought a laptop,” she said.
“It helped me get through uni, which was great.”
“Brenton came up to me and said why don't we use Mandurah Muscateers. It kind of had slipped out of my mind.
“All the people working here are volunteers.
“It’s a bit of work for them to clean them up and prepare them.”
Operating for more than 20 years, the organisation is funded by the WA Health Department to assist people in navigating the health system, share their patient experiences and advocate when they wish to make a complaint against the health system.
Visit the websites of the Health Consumers Council and the Mandurah Muscateers to find out more about what each organisation do.