TalkTalk awards £10,000 funding for small projects with big digital impact
TalkTalk’s annual search to find Britain’s next Digital Heroes is back – and this year it’s bigger and better than ever.
The search for extraordinary people who harness technology to make life better starts today – and Britain’s next TalkTalk Digital Hero could be YOU.
The awards celebrate small-scale projects having a BIG impact on others thanks to the powerful combination of technology, hard work and passion. Digital Heroes are the inspirational individuals bringing people together, offering support to those around them and providing the tools that make the lives of us all that little bit easier with the help of technology.
Last year’s Digital Heroes included a university student who used Raspberry Pi chips to teach computer science to schoolchildren, the developer of an app that would donate to charity every time the user hit ‘snooze’ on their alarm and the carers and parents of kids with autism who made an online community to share their experiences.
TalkTalk needs YOUR help to find this year’s Digital Heroes. If you are or know someone making a big impact through technology and would benefit from more funding TalkTalk wants to help. You can nominate by simply visiting: http://digitalheroes.talktalk.co.uk/enter-now/
There are 10 TalkTalk Digital Heroes Awards, including for the first time a new category for Internet Safety, in partnership with parenting advice platform Internet Matters.
The ten categories are:
Employment
If you know someone who is trying to get people back to work, go ahead and let them be known.
Healthy Living
Technology has got a bad reputation for getting people out of shape, so let’s give a hi-five to those using tech to kick Britain back into shape.
Silver surfer
Technology is for everyone and this hero loves to show the older generation how to get the most from tech - from email to new messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
Skills
Tutorials, workshops, one on one sessions, you name it, they do it. This hero believes that sharing is caring and won’t stop until their knowledge has been shared with everyone.
Volunteer
This hero helps harness tech for good but not just for the money. It’s because they just believe in helping others. Let’s give them the boost they need to keep on doing it!
Fundraising
Charities and fundraisers need all the help they can get; this hero uses technology to help them raise money through donations.
Next Generation
The next Facebook or Pinterest could be in the making right now, right next door to you. If you know a young internet self-starter with a great idea, let them be known!
Education
Teachers and technology make the world go round, so how about the person who goes above and beyond to ensure no one is left behind.
Sustainability
The environment is under attack, and this hero believes that technology can help save our planet.
Internet Safety
The internet can be a dangerous place and this hero is dedicated to helping children and young people navigate new technology and the internet in safety.
TalkTalk’s Digital Heroes will receive £5,000 of funding to enhance their projects; the Next Generation winner will receive £4,000 and a MacBook Air to give them a further boost. The Digital Heroes are honoured at the House of Commons in the autumn, where the overall winner is announced and granted £10,000 prize money. The awards are celebrating their eighth year and TalkTalk has invested half a million pounds in 87 projects across the UK since they began.
The Digital Heroes are decided by public vote with one overall winner chosen by an expert-judging panel comprising of TalkTalk chairman Sir Charles Dunstone, Lastminute.com founder Baroness Martha Lane-Fox and Daily and Sunday Mirror Editor-in-Chief Lloyd Embley.
Commenting on the awards, Dido Harding, Chief Executive of TalkTalk, said: “The internet is a huge force for good but there’s a long way to go, with over 10 million people in the UK still lacking basic digital skills. We’re passionate about the power of the internet to improve communities and want to find Digital Heroes that will inspire and support others through technology.”
Returning judge, Baroness Martha Lane-Fox, who is also Chair of digital skills charity Go ON UK, adds: “It is fantastic to see that the Digital Heroes awards are back again this year. I love hearing about the inspiring individuals and organisations who are using digital to make a real difference to people’s lives. At Go ON UK we want everyone in the country to reach their digital potential, and it’s initiatives like Digital Heroes that will help make this a reality.”
Find out more information on the awards and how to enter at http://digitalheroes.talktalk.co.uk/enter-now/
Entries are welcome until midnight 24 July 2015.
Follow the awards on twitter #digitalheroes