A fourteen year old student from Southampton has been named as this year’s overall UK winner of BT’s Internet Ranger of the Year.  Jenny Pidgley also won the National award for England.
     The BT Internet Ranger of the Year Awards were launched seven years ago and since then have inspired hundreds of young people to help bridge the digital divide by helping older generations acquire basic computer skills; equipping them with the confidence to access and benefit from using the internet.
     Jenny has shown her commitment to helping bridge the digital divide by running free computer sessions at her school for the last two years, taking on the responsibility from her older brother. The sessions are fortnightly on Saturdays and are run in connection with Age Concern, New Forest East.  Jenny teaches basic IT skills such as using the internet and sending e-mails and often visits those that cannot attend to share her skills.
     Jenny was nominated by Jean Adams from Age Concern New Forest East who helps run the classes. Jean said: “It is important to promote intergenerational projects like this because it is far too often that young people get bad press. Jenny is patient has a very mature attitude to helping other people, some of whom have a slower learning rate or mobility or hearing problems.”
The BT Internet Ranger of the Year Awards celebrate the commitment and dedication of outstanding young people who share their internet skills with others.  The Awards are a key element of BT’s digital inclusion programme, and were set up following research which highlighted that nearly a third of parents and grandparents, 32 per cent, have been taught or encouraged to try the internet by a young person aged between 13 to 16 years.
     Jenny was presented with her prize as the overall winner, of a laptop and £500 of IT vouchers by Martha Lane Fox, the Government’s Digital Champion, at a special event held on 10th March at the 5th National Digital Inclusion Conference.  Jenny said: “I’m really pleased I am able to pass on my IT skills to older people because it’s a way of updating people’s lives so they don’t feel stuck in the past. The worst bit for them is the fear of new technology – but once they get past that they realise it’s so easy to use.”
Martha Lane Fox said: “Jenny is a great example of how young people can help get older people online. If just another half a million teenagers follow her lead, we can have everyone online by 2012.”
     Simon Milner, BT’s Industry Policy Manager said: “This year we received the highest number of award entries so far and once again it has been incredibly difficult to choose our winners. It is fantastic that there are so many young people who are sharing their knowledge and skills with older generations.”  
          Three other young people from across the UK were also named as national winners for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
More information about BT Internet Rangers can be found at www.btinternetrangers.co.uk.
     ENDS
For more information contact Victoria Webster or Rebecca Stevenson at Grayling on 020 7025 7500 / rebecca.stevenson@grayling.com