The Reconnect Project

17/08/2026

For people local to our repair shop, you can now receive help with understanding the settings and functions of your mobile phone at our pop-up Tech Help Desk at Georges River Life Care in Peakhurst. Thank you Georges River Council for funding this initiative!

Tech Help Desk operates every second Wednesday - next session is Wednesday, 26 August, 10am - 11:30am.

03/08/2026

We recently delivered 25 high quality, fully refurbished laptops to high school students in Liverpool. Indicative of 'it takes a village', this delivery was made possible with thanks to the Australian Turf Club Foundation funding, assistance from Georges River Life Care in making local introductions and the wonderful staff at Liverpool Girls High School and Liverpool Neighbourhood Connections.

Now that's a happy story for a Monday afternoon 🥰

24/07/2026

📢 AUS ALERT 📢

On Monday 27 July 2026 at 2pm AEST, a test Critical Alert will be sent to every mobile device in Australia. Everyone with a compatible* phone or other device in Australia can expect to receive the alert.

Devices will vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds. An AusAlert message will appear on device screens. It will clearly say it is a test.

The alert will override 'silent' and 'do not disturb' device settings. It will appear like a system notification on screens and make a loud siren sound for 10 seconds.

If either yourself or someone you know has a secret 'safe' device for use in emergencies, please ensure the device is switched off before the 2pm AEST test time, until at least one hour after the test: https://www.ausalert.gov.au/community-resources/staying-safe-ausalert

* AusAlerts work on many mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches. Devices don’t need a working SIM card. They are expected to work on:
- iPhones 11 and up running iOS 26.4 or later
- Apple Watch SE2, SE3, Series 6 and up running watchOS 26.4 or later
- Android devices running Android 12 or later

24/06/2026

We're committed to ensuring that every piece of tech we distribute to a person in need is fit for purpose. Older model iPhones no longer support MyGov, Centrelink and banking apps.

Desperately seeking Apple iPhone SE models (2020 & 2022)*. Certified secure data erasure service and comprehensive ESG reports provided for every corporate fleet of phones.

Contact us today to manage the decommissioning of your fleet of phones. Every phone we receive provides employment opportunities for our neurodivergent young adult technicians and helps connect a person in need to essential services.

(*we will accept ALL models of mobile phones but are nearly out of stock of suitable iPhones)

22/06/2026

Skill sharing is part of our DNA at The Reconnect Project and it’s always great engaging with young people who are keen pick up a screwdriver and have a try at disassembling a mobile phone.

Thanks to The Hills Shire Council for putting on a fantastic community Repair Fair on Saturday!!

16/06/2026

Massive thank you to the super helpful folks at Aware Super for this donation of laptops and tablets. Proof that not all superheroes wear capes 😉

28/05/2026

Thank you to Raelene at ANSTO for running a staff donation drive of mobile phones for us! This box of 91 phones now enters our process line of testing, erasing and refurbishing, making phones as good as new to distribute to people in need.

Want to host a donation drive at your workplace? Get in touch with us and we'll supply you with all the information you need.

25/05/2026

The smartphone in your hand is your connection to family, friends, and services - medical, financial, government. It holds personal and sensitive information. Photos and memories.

But your smartphone can also be used as a weapon or means of control. This is the reality for people affected by family and domestic violence and the insidious nature of tech-facilitated abuse. Stalkerware or spyware apps that operate in stealth - no battery drain, no app icon on your screen - silently tracking your location, text messages, phone call logs, keystrokes and more.

That's why having access to a safe, clean, untracked mobile phone is essential for someone experiencing family and domestic violence and why The Reconnect Project has been providing refurbished smartphones via women's refuges and DV support services since 2020.

Massive thank you to MobileMuster for supporting us this May with a $30K donation, helping us get more smartphones out to people in need.

Got an unused mobile phone sitting at home? Does your workplace have a pile of mobile phones needing secure erasure and reuse? We'll take them off your hands, securely erase all data, and give it a new life.

This May is DV Prevention Month, a time for raising awareness, promoting prevention, and reaffirming that family and domestic violence is not tolerated. To support this crucial moment, MobileMuster has donated $30,000 to The Reconnect Project which will see 300 phones repurposed for people who need safe, independent access to a device.

Sydney-based social enterprise The Reconnect Project is helping to address tech-faciliated abuse by refurbishing donated phones, tablets and laptops and placing them with people who need them, including DV victim survivors, for whom a second device can mean a private line to emergency services, financial help and support networks. Annette Brodie, Founder and CEO of The Reconnect Project is calling on Australians to help play their part by donating their old devices, which can be refurbished and help change a life.

There are 23 million unused phones sitting in drawers. Every Australian has the opportunity to provide a lifeline through donation. Donate your old working phones to The Reconnect Project today.

21/05/2026

This is David. A retired primary school teacher and principal, he starting volunteering in our back office operations last year, helping catalogue the donated devices.

David now comes in twice a week (sometimes more) and is a huge contributor to our flow of devices - cataloguing, testing, running the secure erase software.

As if this wasn’t enough - David also spends time in his shed at home, building us bespoke storage solutions, from tub-holding racks to plywood boxes for safe storage of phones.

David, we are so grateful for all your help and love that you’re now an integral part of our team!!

22/04/2026

We've provided 4,382 individuals with essential tech - a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop - giving them the equipment they need to be digitally included in today's world.

Help get more people digitally connected by donating your unwanted devices to us. Every device is securely erased, fully refurbished by our technicians, and distributed via a partnership with a support service - women's shelters, refugee services, at-risk youth programs and more.