Cambridge Cognition Donates 1,500 Devices to UK Charities

When clinical research trials end, thousands of perfectly good iPads and iPhones typically gather dust or get recycled. Cambridge Cognition found a better way to put them back to work helping people who need them most.

The neuroscience technology company just hit a milestone, donating its 1,500th device to UK charities since launching the program in 2022. The most recent gift of 25 iPads went to Dreamdrops, a Huntingdonshire charity supporting children in hospitals and throughout the community.

Here's how it works: After clinical trials finish, Cambridge Cognition gets permission from trial sponsors to wipe and restore devices to factory settings. Then they either donate directly to charities or partner with Sustainable Tech 4 Good, which refurbishes and redistributes the technology across the UK.

The pace is accelerating. In 2026 alone, Cambridge Cognition facilitated 694 device donations through Sustainable Tech 4 Good, nearly half of all donations since the program began.

The iPads are landing where they matter most. Dreamdrops uses them for a schools project that helps hospitalized children stay connected to their education and friends. For kids dealing with serious health challenges, that connection can make the difference between falling behind and keeping up.

The Ripple Effect

Sustainable Tech 4 Good distributes devices to refugees, homeless families, and people with mental and physical health needs. The impact shows up in unexpected ways.

Two teenagers living in a domestic violence refuge were struggling to attend school. Access to donated devices gave them a way to focus, catch up on missed assignments, and reconnect with learning at their own pace. In the chaos of their situation, the tablets restored routine and hope.

Cambridge Cognition CEO Rob Baker credits the clinical trial sponsors who authorize device donations after research wraps up. "We're ensuring this technology continues to make a difference," he said. "It's a simple but powerful way to extend the impact of clinical research beyond the study itself."

Christine Luckham, Chair of Dreamdrops, says the 25 iPads will promote learning and social inclusion for children across their programs. Sue Gowling, founder of Sustainable Tech 4 Good, points to the expanding reach: from children in refuges to adults rebuilding their lives.

The program tackles two problems at once, reducing electronic waste while addressing digital exclusion for vulnerable communities. Every donated device gets a second life doing meaningful work.

Cambridge Cognition plans to grow the program with sponsors and charity partners in the years ahead, reaching even more communities who need technology to stay connected, educated, and hopeful.