The annual scheme, run by AOL UK and the national charity Citizens Online since 2003, is open to any community group or registered charity in the UK looking for support for an Internet project. Each winning organization will receive GBP2,000 and a year's free AOL Broadband Gold subscription to get their projects off the ground.
John Fisher, Chief Executive of Citizens Online, said: "The level of innovation in the award applications never fails to amaze us. The Internet is clearly very beneficial for charities and community groups and this year's winners have realized its potential in some extremely creative ways. They have looked beyond the obvious to create valuable projects that have clear benefits for their community, this year enhanced by the increased availability of broadband across the UK."
Many of this year's 30 award recipients are planning to launch schemes providing peer support, with several using audio and webcam initiatives to enable people to share experiences and get support online.
Karen Thomson, Chairman and Chief Executive of AOL UK, added: "There is no doubt that the Internet is an incredibly powerful tool for supporting and connecting people. For those who feel cut off or who are suffering in some way, contact with like-minded people can be particularly beneficial and many of this year's winners are making the most of broadband, wireless and other technologies to provide essential lifelines. From e-learning to counseling via instant message, we are proud to support these crucial projects."
The winning projects include:
- The African and Caribbean Voices Association in East London, which helps the African and Caribbean community learn about its culture and the contribution it has made towards Britain. It plans to launch a webcam diary project charting senior citizens' experience of technology, encouraging them to engage with the Internet and use it to tell their own stories.
- Drake Music Project in Edinburgh, which provides musical and technological resources to enable people with disabilities to learn and make music, will develop an online workshop to encourage its users to experience and experiment with assistive technologies.
- Ecodyfi in Powys, Mid Wales, is a community-owned organization concerned with the sustainable regeneration of the Dyfi Valley in Mid Wales. It plans to put its award towards launching an online organic gardening course enabling the local community to grow their own organic fruit and vegetables.
- Somerset Youth Volunteering Network in Glastonbury supports young locals with their involvement in volunteering, community action and citizenship, including a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme, youth-4-youth. The group will take the scheme online, making it more accessible to young people in remote rural locations.
- 55+ Positive Lifestyle, Teignbridge, Devon -- to provide IT training and extend online learning opportunities for older residents in the local community
- African and Caribbean Voices Association, Stratford, London -- to launch a webcam diary to record African and Caribbean senior citizens' experiences of technology
- Alzheimer's Society, West Kent -- to develop an online forum for Alzheimer's sufferers to share advice and experiences
- Artimedia, Batley, West Yorkshire -- to develop a portal for Asian women where they can exchange information on issues of importance to them
- Association of Black and Ethnic Minority Business Advisors, North London -- to launch an "E-wise: Get Smart, Get Connected" Web site to educate marginalized sections of society about the possibilities of e-business
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- Primary and Nursery School, Newark, Nottinghamshire -- to provide wireless Internet access through the school's high-specification server for local families who would otherwise be excluded from the Web
- Bright Project, Bristol -- to improve the standard of benefits and legal advice given by Black and Minority Ethnic organizations via a free laptop loan scheme
- Carers Link East Dunbartonshire, Scotland -- to provide interactive online support and information to carers who are isolated through geography and caring responsibilities
- The Coalition Youth and Community Programmes, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne -- to develop an online resource for its youth mentoring scheme that will provide remote access to essential support and learning materials
- Creative Kids, North London -- to develop an Internet donation and exchange service for families in need of clothes, toys and other equipment
- Crystal Clear Creators, Loughborough -- to develop an interactive forum and online launch pad for new writing talent
- Design Options for a Versatile Environment (D.O.V.E), Portsmouth -- to launch a webcam initiative providing live, remote demonstrations of home equipment for people with disabilities
- Drake Music Project, Edinburgh -- to launch an online workshop about the project's assistive music technologies that enable people with disabilities to make music
- Ecodyfi, Powys, Mid Wales -- to launch an online organic gardening course enabling the community to grow their own organic fruit and vegetables and support the sustainable regeneration of the Dyfi Valley
- Girls Friendly Society England and Wales, East London - to evolve its 'Keep in Touch' campaign, developing a mentoring support network for its Web site
- Grief Encounter, North London -- to develop an online interactive workbook, encouraging and helping children and adults to talk about and deal with bereavement
- Heeland Rangers FC, Milton Keynes -- to provide online training, from first aid to refereeing, for coaches, players and parents of the UK's fastest growing all female football club
- Jigsaw4u, Mitcham -- to develop an audio feature on its Web site where children can listen to one another talking about their experiences of bereavement
- Kent Farmline, East Malling -- to develop microsites that will enable agricultural workers and other members of the rural community to access information on support and advice services from their mobile phones or PDAs
- Lesbian and Gay Foundation, Manchester -- to evolve its helpline to incorporate e-mail and instant messenger services, allowing people to access counselors easily and anonymously
- Masquerade, Powys, Mid Wales -- to develop a radio documentary about the experiences of people with a learning disability
- National Association of Gifted Children, Milton Keynes -- to develop a themed online discussion board enabling families to discuss their personal experiences and solutions to issues arising from having gifted children, such as bullying
- North Wales Bird Trust, Llandudno -- to launch a webcam initiative capturing footage of the rare Ashy-faced barn owl and linking children in Wales and the Dominican Republic
- Sanibel Counselling Centre, East London -- to provide online counseling for people with mental health problems
- Savile Town Community Association, West Yorkshire -- to launch an online loan scheme of sensory equipment for children with disabilities
- Sign, Buckinghamshire -- to launch an interactive Web-based opinion poll and discussion forum for deaf people with mental health issues
- Somerset Youth Volunteering Network, Glastonbury -- to provide online access to its youth-4-youth program where young mentors support vulnerable peers in taking an active role within the local community
- South Central Community Transport, based in Liverpool -- to launch a Web site and develop online training opportunities for the local community
- Stroud.com, Gloucestershire -- to provide free Internet taster courses for disadvantaged local people, helping to get the community online and bridge the digital divide
