BT calls on young digital champions to help bring internet skills to the nation’s seven million offline adults
School children who share their internet skills with adults will get tickets to a special Rock Assembly summer gig at Wembley Arena
BT is calling on young people across the UK to take part in its BT Digital Champions initiative and share their internet skills to help some of the seven million adults who have never been online to join the digital world.
To date over twenty thousand school children have pledged their support for the initiative which aims to build the confidence and skills of people in their local communities to get online and get more out of life. This could include trying simple activities, such as keeping in touch with family or making major changes to their lives, such as finding a job.
Digital Champions who train adults and build their confidence and competence in using the internet will be rewarded with tickets to attend a special concert, Rock Assembly, at Wembley Arena on 9 July next year. As an extra incentive ahead of Rock Assembly, the BT Digital Champions Christmas Challenge will reward the top three schools that help the most people get online this term with some amazing prizes including all-in-one computers, VIP seats at Rock Assembly and the chance to meet some of the Rock Assembly 2014 performers who have previous years have included Wretch 32, Chipmunk and Diversity.
Whilst over 92% of the UK has access to broadband, there are still over seven million adults who have never been online. Last year BT Digital Champions across the UK joined forces to support ten thousand of the nation’s digitally-excluded get online for the first time or improve their existing skills.
BT Digital Champions is part of BT’s Connected Society programme, which aims to use the power of communication to help people get online and develop the skills and confidence they need to use the internet and open up a world of information and opportunity.
Anna Easton, Programme Director of BT Connected Society, said: “It’s hard to imagine but there are seven million people in the UK that have never been online and many of them are older or unemployed. School children today have a natural affinity with technology and we want to encourage them to share their skills with the people in their local communities who stand to gain most. Becoming a digital champion transforms the children too because they realise they can make a difference.”
BT Digital Champions is run in conjunction with children’s charity the Transformation Trust, which strives to help students build their confidence and skills, and share them with the wider community. Students can volunteer their own time to train family and community members, or schools can organise group training sessions with full resources and support provided. Teachers and students are encouraged to find out more at: www.btdigitalchampions.com
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About BT Digital Champions
• The programme offers an excellent opportunity for young people to use their digital experience to help others. It also offers benefits to schools, linking to the Ofsted framework, with an emphasis on SMSC (spiritual, moral, social, cultural), RWCM (reading, writing, communication, maths), and preparing young people for future education, employment or training.
• The initiative helps instil civic responsibility in young people and build community links. It is an ideal volunteering activity for courses such as the International Baccalaureate.
• The programme is flexible and schools can decide how and when to run the training sessions. Students can spend their own time training a family member or friend as a homework activity, or schools can organise group training sessions.
• Anyone aged 11-19 can get involved once a teacher at their school or college has registered to take part.
• As a reward for completing BT Digital Champions activity, the Transformation Trust is offering free tickets for the most glamorous end-of-term pop concert, Rock Assembly 2014 which takes place at Wembley Arena, on 9 July 2014. The event also features a Futures Fair including a university and careers village to inspire young people and showcase educational and career opportunities. Past acts include Wretch 32, Misha B, Tinchy Stryder, Diversity, The Saturdays and The Wanted, and a waiting list in the thousands. Tickets are awarded on a first come, first served basis.
About BT’s Connected Society programme
BT Digital Champions is part of BT’s Connected Society programme, spreading access to the internet and helping people to develop the skills and confidence they need to make the most of it. Using BT technology, and supported by digital inclusion initiatives, BT is working to transform people’s lives worldwide through better access to information and services to improve education, employability, health and more. At the heart of the programme is BT’s commitment to make sure more than nine out of ten people in the UK will have access to fibre based products and services by 2020. Find out more about BT’s Connected Society at www.bt.com/ConnectedSociety
About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2013, BT Group’s reported revenue was £18,103m with reported profit before taxation of £2,315m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.btplc.com
About The Transformation Trust
The Transformation Trust is an independent children’s charity that funds extra-curricular activities in schools in some of the most challenged parts of the country.
Since our launch in May 2009, we have supported a range of opportunities and experiences designed to help young people to fulfil their potential. Our mission is to ensure the enriching activities, which many children are fortunate enough to enjoy thanks to their background and the schools they attend, are within the reach of all young people. We aim to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds develop new skills, grow in confidence, learn to work as a team, and discover hidden talents and interests. The activities are genuinely fun – the sorts of things young people want to stay behind after school to take part in – but they also help equip them with core skills, such as numeracy, communication and technological fluency, which are valued in the workplace and will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Funded entirely through the support of the private sector, The Transformation Trust works with high-quality third sector organisations whose programmes can make a difference to the lives – and futures – of young people who need that extra help. For more information please visit www.transformationtrust.org.uk
