UK charities and community groups boosted to harness power of the internet

Howard Lake | 29 June 2006 | Newswire

NEWS RELEASE
UK charities and community groups boosted to harness power of the internet
Online counselling, environmental awareness and health initiatives among winners of AOL Innovation in the Community Awards 2006
26 June 2006
AOL UK and Citizens Online will help to turn the internet dreams of 30 charities and community groups across the UK into reality today, thanks to the AOL Innovation in the Community Awards.
Online counselling and peer support, wildlife webcams to teach children about nature, and computer classes for older people are just some of the ways the winners of this year’s AOL Innovation in the Community Awards will be using the internet to connect, support and inspire their users.
The annual awards scheme, run by AOL UK and the national charity Citizens Online, is open to community groups and registered charities in the UK that are using the internet in an innovative way. This year’s winning organisations, which include Age Concern Buckinghamshire, Let’s Talk Counselling Service, Machynlleth Community Children’s Project, and The National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease will each receive £2,000 and a year’s free AOL Broadband subscription to get their projects off the ground.
John Fisher, Chief Executive of Citizens Online, commented: With the digital age truly upon us, voluntary organisations should be encouraged to make the most of online media. We know from previous years what a difference these awards can make. Some incredible projects have been proposed for 2006, which reflect both the creativity of the groups involved and the clear benefits that the internet offers the individuals they serve.”
Karen Thomson, President of AOL Europe, added: I am always inspired by the diverse ways the internet is being used to help so many communities around the country. The internet is a powerful tool for providing information and bringing people together and we are very pleased to be able to help another 30 charities and community groups to make the most of digital technologies this year.”
AOL UK and Citizens Online have supported 120 non-profit organisations through the AOL Innovation in the Community Awards since the scheme began in 2003.
The following organisations will receive AOL Innovation in the Community Awards 2006 (in alphabetical order). Please note that two winning organisation requested anonymity and has not been included in the list:
Age Concern Buckinghamshire, Aylesbury, Bucks (www.ageconcernbucks.org.uk) – to run computer and internet classes for older people in the region, which will be taught by tutors with additional one-to-one support from local teenagers
AVM Support UK, Cramlington, Northumberland (www.avmsupport.org.uk) – to build an interactive area on the group’s website where people affected by Arteriovenous Malformation can express their emotions and share their experiences through diaries, photo albums and discussion forums
Aylesham Youth and Leisure Centre, Aylesham, Kent – to offer an access point to the internet for hundreds of local young people and set up a drug education project that draws on information found on the Web
Blackpool Action Force, Lancashire – to build an online Fairtrade store where visitors will be able to purchase goods from several Fairtrade companies
British Computer Association of the Blind, Edinburgh, Scotland (www.bcab.org.uk) – to expand its screen reading tutorials to make it possible for more blind and partially sighted people to make the most of the internet
CANCERactive, Buckingham (www.canceractive.com) – to strengthen its website where people can go for help, support, information, treatment and general enquiries about cancer
Community First, Malvern, Worcestershire (www.comfirst.org.uk) – to build a website for Community First’s network of more than 50 organisations that support people with mental health problems across the county
Deaf Connections, Glasgow, Scotland (www.deafconnections.co.uk) – to develop an IT Signing Helpline that will enable real-time sign language communication via webcams, ensuring that deaf people get the support they require when it comes to internet and computing issues
The Disability Law Service, London (www.dls.org.uk) – to establish free legal advice sessions via instant messaging for young adults with disabilities
Dundee International Women’s Centre, Scotland (www.diwc.co.uk) – to run IT classes for women from diverse ethnic minority communities in Dundee who feel out of touch with technology, encouraging them to communicate via email with friends and family around the world
Dunfermline Women’s Aid, Scotland – to provide computers and internet access in its children’s playroom, helping young people who have experienced domestic abuse
Ealing Community and Voluntary Service, London (www.ealingcvs.org.uk) – to develop a website enabling local people to access details of new planning applications that may affect them and respond to them online
Envision, London (www.envision.org.uk) – to enhance its website for young people, enabling 16-19 year olds to develop their own social and environmental projects using video uploads and blogs
The Friends of Finsbury Park, London (www.thefriendsoffinsburypark.org.uk) – to develop an online radio station for the community, which would include guided history walk podcasts, information about activities in Finsbury Park, and oral histories from the many communities around the park
TheGuidLife, Lanarkshire, Scotland (www.the./Uk-Fundraising-logo-web-1.jpglife.net) – to increase community participation from local young people through live Web and mobile chats and a feature where members can upload pictures to the group’s website from their mobile phones
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire (www.hearing-dogs.co.uk) – to develop an innovative online marketing campaign to increase awareness of the charity and raise funds
Hull Community Church, Humberside – to set up an internet auction initiative, teaching members of the local community IT, Maths, English, timekeeping and customer service skills by helping them to buy and sell goods online
Let’s Talk Counselling Service, Eccles, Kelso – to develop an online counselling service for those living or working in the Scottish Borders who experience barriers to face-to-face counselling, be it transport, childcare or ill-health
Lindsay Armstrong Support Group, Ayrshire, Scotland (www.lindsayarmstrongsupportgroup.org.uk) – to develop a Web-based counselling service for victims of rape or sexual assault and their families, including a discussion forum, enhanced email support and information about campaigning for legislative change on behalf of victims
Lineham Farm Children’s Centre, Eccup, Leeds (www.linehamfarm.org.uk) – to buy an infrared wireless bird box camera for the farm that will enable local disadvantaged children to study nature through the centre’s website both while they are visiting and when they return to school
Machynlleth Community Children’s Project, Gwynedd, Wales (www.mccp.org.uk) – to set up technology-based activities, in which the children have expressed an interest, such as digital photography workshops, making a video diary and building a website
Manor Court, Cockermouth, Cumbria – to teach older people how to use computers and the internet, helping them to maintain their independence
Market-eze, Lower Openshaw, Manchester – to provide an online shop for residents of sheltered housing and other schemes, helping them to overcome barriers to internet shopping
The National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, St Albans, Hertfordshire (www.nacc.org.uk) – to create an online community for its 30,000 members, in order to encourage communication between people affected by the conditions who may not want to seek face-to-face support
North West Organic Co-operative, Derry, Northern Ireland (www.nworganic.com) – to build an online shop where people can buy organic produce from more than 20 local farmers
Oasis North London (www.onl.org.uk) – to help people living with HIV gain work-related skills as part of a project to design an online booking system for hiring training rooms
Sign, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire (www.signcharity.org.uk) – to set up video phones and webcams in clients’ homes and the Sign centres in order to help increase clients’ independence and maximise productivity at the centres
XLP, London (www.xlp.org.uk) – to develop a Web forum that will enable hundreds of disadvantaged local young people to seek advice from those who understand their situation
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Notes to Editors
For further information about the AOL Innovation in the Community Awards, please contact Marc Berry or Amanda Symons on 020 7907 7800 or at

mb****@ma*******.com












Case studies of previous award winners are available on request.
About the AOL Innovation in the Community Awards
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. 30 awards to the value of £2,000 were available in 2006 and will be payable by cheque. In addition, each winning organisation will receive a complimentary AOL Broadband Gold account (up to 2Mbps) for 12 months, subject to availability and terms and conditions.
www.aol.co.uk/innovation
About AOL
AOL is a leading provider of digital communications and content to UK consumers. AOL offers dial-up, broadband, voice and portal services and has more than 2.2 million subscribers in the UK, including more than one million on broadband.
The AOL branded services are supplied to UK subscribers by AOL Europe Services SARL, a company in the AOL group based in Luxembourg. AOL (UK) Limited provides marketing and other support services. Both companies are part of AOL Europe, a business unit of AOL LLC, which operates a leading network of Web brands and is a majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.
AOL’s Community Investment Programme in the UK 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. AOL is a founding member of the Alliance for Digital Inclusion.
www.aol.co.uk
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. Its 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.
www.citizensonline.org.uk

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.