Tag Archives: BT

Spread the love

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With love well and truly in the air, thanks for inspiring your audiences to join the UK’s network of big-hearted digital champions!

A brilliant alternative (or addition) to the traditional Valentine’s Day card (it’s not too late to send via the net), we’ve created two special vouchers for digital champs to give to a beginner. Tell us how you’re spreading the love via Twitter with the hashtag #lovetheweb or on Facebook @UKdigitalchampions

BT and Citizens Online also have the love bug and are running the spanking new ‘Love to Reconnect’ campaign – part of BT’s wider Get IT Together programme – offering over-55s free help and advice to reconnect with friends and family via the net.

As part of the campaign, BT employees in Bristol are volunteering to get people online for the first time, showing them how the net can help them to stay in touch with friends and family.  Check out the latest on the Citizens Online Facebook page.

Keren – a digital champion in the making

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By Oli Kelham, Race Online 2012

Keren (left) with an Internet Ranger

Keren (left) with an Internet Ranger

“Motivation gets you started, habits keeps you going” excitedly repeats Keren Tamswell.

Keren’s been attending Avonbourne School internet sessions for the last 2 years.  Led by four students calling themselves ’Internet Rangers who are teaching older people in their local community how to use the internet, the project has just been awarded the runner-up prize for BT’s Internet Ranger School of the Year award.

The theme this week is money saving and Keren certainly knew all about how easy Amazon is to use, telling me all about her recent purchase, a soup maker: “It does it all” she says, “but I want to learn eBay next”.  I spent the next half an hour looking for cheap Caribbean cruises.  I’d class Keren as a true online shopaholic!

'Internet Ranger' cakesI quickly learned that Keren sits on the cutting edge of new technology. Not only does she own a laptop, but has a PC, iPad and iPhone!  I didn’t think Keren really needs much more in terms of formal training, seeming pretty confident to me.  However, this class isn’t about discovering the wonders of the web.  It’s also a social occasion both generations.

Little does Keren know, but she’s a digital champion in the making.  Although keen to get her peers online, before now, she hasn’t known how.  I sent her on her way by telling her to look at www.go-on.co.uk and BBC Give an hour for ideas, so watch this space!

BT Community Connections – win a year’s free broadband!

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Want to help your community get online or know a group which could benefit?


As part of their Get IT Together campaign, BT have launched the Community Connections award scheme, offering community and charitable groups the chance to get online for free and help people discover the wonders of the web.

Does your group help the community access the Internet and improve ICT skills?  It could be eligible to win a year’s free broadband.

Previous winners include the Prism Youth Project in Bradford and Momentum Scotland which offers access to computers and the Internet to those who have been seriously disabled by a spinal cord injury.

To find out more information on how to help people in your community benefit from access to the web, log on to www.bt.com/communityconnections before 13 January 2011.

While you’re there, take a look at BT’s Community Web Kit.  It helps you to create a site to promote your charity or community group in just a few simple steps.  A recent Networked Neighborhoods study shows citizen run websites serve to enhance people’s sense of belonging, democratic influence, neighbourliness and involvement in their area.

  • This is only one of many ways BT is helping non-liners get more out of life online.  They are providing support to Age UK and have produced a great online guide.