While the industry continues to focus on evolving cyber threats, a parallel risk is growing in plain sight. Across the UK, hundreds of thousands of children and young people still lack access to suitable technology. For those who do gain access, often through donation schemes or second-hand devices, the absence of guidance and awareness around online safety can expose them to new risks including scams, exploitation, and cybercrime.

Every Child Online will return to the National Cyber Security Show 2026 at the NEC Birmingham as an official charity partner for the second consecutive year, bringing a clear message to the cybersecurity sector: digital access and online safety are now inseparable.

Every Child Online exists to address both sides of that problem.

Over the past five years, the organisation has refurbished and repurposed more than 50,000 devices, supporting children, families, schools, and community programmes across the UK. That work is now expanding beyond access alone, with a focused approach to ensuring that every device placed into the community is backed by education, awareness, and support under its “Safe, Smart and Empowered” framework.

The charity works in close partnership with UK businesses through its IT asset disposal and refurbishment model, delivered alongside its sister organisation, Everyone Digital CIC. Using accredited data erasure software, full certification, and secure handling processes, organisations are able to process redundant IT equipment with confidence, while directly contributing to measurable social impact.

Crucially, the model is built differently to traditional IT disposal routes.

100% of usable donated technology is redirected into digital inclusion projects. Equipment is not resold for funding before impact is considered. Devices are either refurbished and placed into the hands of those who need them, or responsibly recycled where reuse is not possible. The result is a clear, auditable link between IT operations, environmental responsibility, and community benefit.

For IT leaders, CISOs, and CIOs attending the National Cyber Security Show, this creates a practical opportunity. Secure disposal, ESG reporting, sustainability targets, and social value delivery can sit within the same operational framework, rather than being treated as separate initiatives.

Mike Tarbard, CEO and Founder of Every Child Online, said:

“The cybersecurity sector understands risk better than most. What we’re seeing is that digital exclusion creates a different kind of risk, one that affects education, opportunity, and personal safety online.

If we’re putting devices into the hands of young people, we have a responsibility to make sure they know how to use them safely. That’s why our work has evolved. It’s no longer just about access, it’s about what happens next.

We’re grateful to Nineteen Group for continuing to support us as a charity partner. This event gives us the chance to have direct conversations with organisations that are already managing large volumes of technology and data. There’s a clear opportunity to do that securely while creating genuine, measurable impact at the same time.”

As cyber threats continue to evolve, Every Child Online is also increasing its focus on online safety education, working with children, parents, and professionals to build awareness around real-world risks including phishing, social engineering, online grooming, and digital fraud.

Visitors to the National Cyber Security Show are invited to meet the team at Stand 5/Q31 from 28–30 April 2026 to discuss how their organisation can integrate secure IT disposal, sustainability, and social impact into a single, accountable model.

Alongside its core services, Every Child Online will also be showcasing its CRE8 initiative, where non-reusable electronic components are transformed into new products as part of a circular economy approach. Attendees are encouraged to visit the stand, start a conversation, and take a look at the range, including a set of distinctive recycled cufflinks that reflect the organisation’s commitment to reducing waste and rethinking value.

For organisations unable to attend, enquiries can be directed to help@everychildonline.co.uk.