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Thirty UK charities boosted by
Internet awards
Thirty UK charities and community groups
boosted by Internet awards (30/08/05)
Innovative use of the Internet
has secured AOL Innovation in the Community Awards of £2,000 for 30
forward-thinking charities and community groups across the UK. The winning
projects demonstrate the positive impact the Web can have in areas such as
protecting the environment, developing new writing talent, the representation
of ethnic minorities, and encouraging young volunteers.
The annual
scheme, run by AOL UK and the national charity Citizens Online since 2003, is
open to any community group or registered charity in the UK looking for support
for an Internet project. Each winning organisation will receive £2,000
and a year's free AOL Broadband Gold subscription to get their projects off the
ground.
John Fisher, Chief Executive of Citizens Online, said: "The
level of innovation in the award applications never fails to amaze us. The
Internet is clearly very beneficial for charities and community groups and this
year's winners have realised its potential in some extremely creative ways.
They have looked beyond the obvious to create valuable projects that have clear
benefits for their community, this year enhanced by the increased availability
of broadband across the UK."
Many of this year's 30 award recipients
are planning to launch schemes providing peer support, with several using audio
and webcam initiatives to enable people to share experiences and get support
online.
Karen Thomson, Chairman and Chief Executive of AOL UK, added:
"There is no doubt that the Internet is an incredibly powerful tool for
supporting and connecting people. For those who feel cut off or who are
suffering in some way, contact with like-minded people can be particularly
beneficial and many of this year's winners are making the most of broadband,
wireless and other technologies to provide essential lifelines. From e-learning
to counselling via instant message, we are proud to support these crucial
projects."
The winning projects include:
The African and
Caribbean Voices Association in East London, which helps the African and
Caribbean community learn about its culture and the contribution it has made
towards Britain. It plans to launch a webcam diary project charting senior
citizens' experience of technology, encouraging them to engage with the
Internet and use it to tell their own stories.
Drake Music Project in
Edinburgh, which provides musical and technological resources to enable
people with disabilities to learn and make music, will develop an online
workshop to encourage its users to experience and experiment with assistive
technologies
Ecodyfi in Powys, Mid Wales, is a community-owned
organisation concerned with the sustainable regeneration of the Dyfi Valley in
Mid Wales. It plans to put its award towards launching an online organic
gardening course enabling the local community to grow their own organic fruit
and vegetables.
Somerset Youth Volunteering Network in
Glastonbury supports young locals with their involvement in volunteering,
community action and citizenship, including a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme,
youth-4-youth. The group will take the scheme online, making it more accessible
to young people in remote rural locations.
About the AOL Innovation
in the Community Awards 2005
The AOL Innovation in the Community
Awards were set up by AOL UK and the national charity Citizens Online in 2003
to encourage innovative use of the Internet among community groups and
registered charities in the UK. The 2005 awards were launched on 21 March, with
a closing date of 6 June 2005.
The awards judging panel selected 30
projects to each receive an award to the value of £2,000, payable by
cheque. In addition, each winning organisation will receive a complimentary AOL
Broadband Gold account (up to 1Mbps) for 12 months, subject to Terms and
Conditions.
About AOL
AOL is the leading online
interactive services provider to the UK, with more than 2.4 million members,
including more than one million on AOL Broadband. AOL offers a range of
services in the UK, including dial-up, broadband and voice, as well as
unrivalled content and community for all the family.
The AOL Internet
service and AOL Talk are provided to UK subscribers by AOL Europe Services
SARL, a company in the AOL group based in Luxembourg. AOL (UK) Limited is part
of AOL Europe, a business unit of America Online Inc., which is the world's
leading interactive services company with more than 27 million members
worldwide. America Online Inc. is a division of Time Warner Inc., a leading
media and entertainment company, whose businesses include interactive services,
cable systems, filmed entertainment, television networks and publishing.
AOL UK's Community Investment Programme seeks to extend the benefits of
the online medium to those who would most benefit from it, but who are often
the least likely to obtain access through traditional means. Priority areas are
young people, particularly those outside of mainstream education, and people
with disabilities. AOL UK is a founding member of the Alliance for Digital
Inclusion.
About Citizens Online
Citizens Online is a
national charity committed to closing the digital divide. It believes that
members of the community should have access to ICT and the Internet to ensure
they are socially included in all areas of today's society.
Citizens
Online's work includes research projects analysing the ever increasing digital
environment and its impact on society as a whole. As part of its ongoing
involvement, Citizens Online works closely with the IT and Telecoms industry
and local and central government in both an advisory and lobbying capacity and
the development of ongoing projects across the UK.
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