Please note teenagers must be in full time education to be eligible

Age Range: 12 to 19 years old inclusive.  However, MattDotCom would try to help a teenager beyond 19 years old  if they were still in full time education or studying at the Open University, if they were diagnosed before 19 years old.

Area: Officially our current catchment area is based on a 50 mile radius of Lincoln Cathedral, if the teenager lives within that circle we will try and help them.  However, increasingly we are being asked to help teenagers across the whole of the Midlands and parts of the southern half of northern England.  We will help with these teenagers where we can.

Who can apply for a system? An application for a laptop or home system has to made by your nurse, social worker, OT or teacher.  All children’s wards and hospital social work departments in our current catchment area have been sent application forms and information sheets.  We have also sent information to all TCT wards in Great Britain (as of 2014).

NOTE FOR STAFF – if you are working with teenagers who are undergoing long term treatment and who are in full time education, contact David Harding-Price for application forms and information sheets please.  E-mail – david @ mattdotcom.org.uk [remove the spaces]

Time a teenager has a laptop? We endeavour to help any teenager in full time education and the equipment is now given on the understanding that the teenager is studying at some level.
Short term loans can be arranged if a teenager is incapacitated by trauma and unable to attend school.  Teachers can make application for such loans.

Please note that from January 2018 MattDotCom changed the way we work.   Systems are now donated to the teenager from day one.  Parents are advised to put the equipment on their household contents insurance as it cannot be replaced.  Prior to COVID the equipment =was always delivered to the teenager, be that at their home or in hospital if that is where they are on the delivery day.  Now since COVID equipment is sent to the teenager by courier once the parents have confirmed their address.

Smiles all round as Emma receives her laptop. Emma was the first recipient in Lincolnshire to receive a laptop back in 2004.  We have just heard is about to get married!!!!! Yeah!!!!!  Our first loans were in 2003 to a couple of lads in South Yorkshire.  Since then we have helped teenagers across the East Midlands and even further a field.  Up to March 2019 we have helped 128 teenagers living in Lincolnshire (22%), Nottinghamshire (27%), Derbyshire (13%), South Yorkshire (13%) Outside catchment area including Lancashire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Cheshire(25%).