TalkTalk today launches the search for the Digital Hero of 2013. The Digital Heroes Awards is a unique scheme that recognises and rewards people who are using technology to help their communities.
The awards, now in their sixth year, have already provided funding and support to 62 organisations across Britain and are run in partnership with the charities Citizens Online and Go ON UK, which aims to make the UK the world's most digitally skilled nation.
The awards aim to recognise inspirational people who use technology to benefit their local community and twelve regions are invited to compete. There will be twelve winners, one from each region of the UK, who will be decided by public vote and each will receive £5,000 to enhance their digital projects, with one overall winner chosen by an expert judging panel receiving £10,000.
2012 also saw the successful launch of a new Digital Hero Award for children and young people, which is running again this year. The winner will receive £4,000 for their chosen charity and an Apple MacBook Air. The award will be presented by Baroness Lane-Fox, Chair of charity Go ON UK, of which TalkTalk is a founder partner.
The Digital Hero Awards judging panel will pick the overall winner and consists of TalkTalk chairman Sir Charles Dunstone, Baroness Lane-Fox, Go ON UK Chair and Lloyd Embley, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror.
Commenting on the awards, Dido Harding, Chief Executive of TalkTalk, said: “Each year, our Digital Heroes Awards attract hundreds of nominations from people across the country and since the awards began they have made an enormous difference to many important projects in local communities around the country. With this year’s nominations now open we’re looking forward to finding new and innovative projects showcasing how technology truly is a force for good."
Martha Lane Fox comments “a staggering 7.1 million UK adults have still never been online and 16 million do not have the Basic Online Skills to confidently take advantage of digital tools. That’s why I’m proud to support TalkTalk’s Digital Heroes Awards. It’s a vital celebration of inspirational digital champions sharing their digital skills with others in communities across the UK.”
John Fisher, chief executive of Citizens Online, said: “With the digital age truly set in, it is vital that the internet is made accessible to everybody. To date Digital Heroes has already helped many projects to change their communities for the better and we are excited to be helping even more this year.”