Schools in Africa are benefiting from the generosity of their peers in the UK thanks to a helping hand from a Gloucestershire business.

Cheltenham-headquartered Commercial's managed IT services division, Commercial IT Services, is helping UK schools ensure their old laptops, monitors and PCs are put to good use.

Equipment is collected from schools by Commercial IT Services for free and taken to the charity IT Schools Africa's Cheltenham head office.

All data is erased and the computers are upgraded and loaded with Windows 10 and educational software. Young people from the company's social enterprise Commercial Foundation are involved in the reconditioning process.

Wellington School in Somerset recently donated 240 pieces of equipment, following an upgrade of its IT infrastructure by the Gloucestershire firm's IT services arm.

On collection day, its staff team introduced pupils to the concept of sustainable development, explaining how their computers would help schoolchildren less fortunate than themselves.

Richard Blundell, director of Commercial IT Services, said: "The 240 laptops and computers from Wellington School would have been destined for landfill, but instead they will benefit around 7,500 schoolchildren in Africa."

He added: "Even better, our social enterprise Commercial Foundation will work with IT Schools Africa to upgrade the equipment.

"Commercial Foundation works with disadvantaged young people to improve their employment prospects, and this will enable them to develop new workplace skills and confidence."

Commercial is encouraging anyone who has a computer they may wish to donate to visit its offices on June 28 when it is staging a corporate social responsibility day.