Martha Lane Fox launches programme to improve organisations' digital capability2

IT | Kirsty Weakley | 24 Apr 2012

As the Race Online 2012 campaign comes to an end, the UK digital champion Martha Lane Fox today launches Go On UK with Age UK and Big Lottery Fund as two of its founding partners.

It aims to bring the benefits of the internet to organisations as well as individuals and commits to improving the digital capability of charities and SMEs through the sharing of expertise and resources.

“Go On UK is a very different organisation with a broader remit to include building the capacity of organisations as well as individuals.” Said Lane Fox. “It will pick up the baton from Race Online 2012 by building on its fantastic assets.”

The founding partners (Age UK, BBC, Big Lottery Fund, E.On, Lloyds Banking Group, Post Office Ltd, and Talk Talk) have committed to covering the costs of the new organisation for the next three years.

Lane Fox will chair the new organisation and executives from the partner orgnaisations, including Age UK chief executive Tom Wright and Big CEO Peter Wanless, will sit on the board which will develop a national plan for the next 18 months by September 2012 and a longer term vision for 2020.

Age UK is the leading provider of internet campaigns to people aged 65 and over. Wright said: “Age UK believes that Go On UK offers a fantastic opportunity for influential members of the public, private and third sectors to come together and help get everyone online, regardless of age or experience of technology.”

More support for charities

Lane Fox said that the new organisation would provide more support to charities hit hard by funding cuts.

“Many individuals and organisations still struggle to exploit the broader benefits of technology, a problem that is particularly acute for our small businesses, older people and charities that are currently at risk of being left behind," she said.

“Working with charities to use technology to deliver the best services possible for end users and take the cost out of their business has never been more urgent," she added.

Directory: Age UK | Big Lottery Fund
Who's Who: Tom Wright | Peter Wanless

Place a comment

Tom Sutcliffe
private
30 Apr 2012

Another silly quango. And one that yet again tries to promote the belief that technology can replace human intreaction. More computing doesn't make better elder-care. This money would be better spent finding ways to improve the services we have, not by persuading the elderly to fend for themselves in the challenging world of IT and the cesspit of the internet.

[Reply]

Jo Wood
24 Apr 2012

There's already iT4Communities (www.it4communities.org.uk) which is very successful in finding IT professionals wanting to volunteer their skills to
charities needing IT help, and AbilityNet helping organisations help people with disabilities to use IT more effectively.

I can't believe the UK digital champion doesn't know of these organisations.

Is a new organisation really needed ?

[Reply]

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