News & Events

New Zealand copies Irish model of recycling mobile phones to help sick children
CEO of Jack & Jill visits New Zealand to support launch of Starship mobile phone appeal

Jonathan Irwin and New Zealand Prime Minister Hon John Key

On the 24th February 2009, New Zeland based,Starship Foundation launched its new mobile phone appeal in Auckland to raise funds for sick children. The Starship initiative is based on the Jack & Jill model of recycling in Ireland which is done with recycling partner Folamh and has raised nearly €2 million over the past two years for home respite care for Jack and Jill Families. The mobile phones donated in New Zealand will be sent to Folamh in Ireland for recording, grading and storage before being sent to countries such as Hong Kong, China or Eastern Europe where they are checked, reprogrammed, repackaged and sold. Folamh will donate 60% of proceeds from the sale of phones to Starship.

Speaking at the launch in Auckland, New Zeland , Jonathan Irwin, CEO and founder of the Jack & Jill Foundation said, “We are delighted with the number of people in Ireland who support our campaign and I’ve come to the launch in New Zealand to support the wonderful Starship team and I urge every New Zealander to donate their old phones to help the Starship children. I have seen first hand what a big difference it makes in the lives of sick children and their families in Ireland, with 250 phones buying home nursing care for a sick child for one month.”

According to Andrew Young, CEO of Starship Foundation, “More than three million people have a mobile phone in New Zealand and they upgrade these, on average, once every 18 months. That means more than two million phones could become obsolete or no longer in use every year. We want those phones so they can be put to good use for Starship kids. The money raised will be used to pay for priority needs at Starship such as lifesaving equipment through to vital paediatric research. But beyond that, there’s the added benefit of preventing these old phones from ending up in landfill and polluting the environment.”