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News archive E-gov Awards accolade for myguide and UK online centres 23 January 2008 The combination of myguide, the easy gateway to the internet, and UK online centres, the network of computer-support centres, were recognised yesterday for their contribution to building a fairer society with e-Government.
The best of the best in UK e-Government was celebrated in London last night at the E-Government National Awards 2007. Over 500 entries were whittled down to just 22 winners and highly commended runners-up by a panel of judges from across the public, private and third sectors.
Speaking at the ceremony by video, Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised the finalists. He said: “I commend you all for your initiative, your drive and your commitment to providing the public with the very best. The growing use of information technology is an important factor in people’s rising aspirations – and these aspirations don’t get left behind when they use public services. Today’s citizens are quite rightly demanding more and technology has the capacity to provide it, breaking new ground and helping to achieve new goals. It enables us to try things out and, ultimately, to do things differently."
myguide and UK online centres received their highly commended plaque in the Building a fairer society with e-Government category, pipped at the post by winners the Fire Service College. The runners-up Award was collected on stage by Helen Milner, Managing Director of UK online centres. She said: “I was delighted that out of so many entries, myguide and UK online centres were recognised for their contribution in motivating and supporting digitally excluded people to get online, get connected to public services, and get the skills and confidence to make computers and the internet work for them.
“There are often complex factors at work in exclusion – age, culture, disability, income, education or even attitude. Overcoming those barriers is key to creating a fairer and more equal society, and that’s the goal UK online centres and myguide are working towards. Together, I believe they are a unique public asset. It was great to see them take their place amongst the other Awards nominees, and uplifting to sit in room and see the breadth of innovation and achievement in making transformational government do what it says on the tin – really transform the delivery of public services.”
The network of UK online centres across England were set up in 2000 to provide public access to computers. Today the role of centres is to exploit ICT to improve skills, individual lives, community cohesion and social inclusion. myguide is one of the main tools used by UK online centres to help hard-to-reach audiences take their first steps online – and onto government services.
The myguide site – www.myguide.gov.uk - offers a free, easy to use email service and web search facility from a clean, simple homepage which can be personalised to the individual by changing font size and colour, visual and audio settings. It's designed to be supported by staff who can help make sure people's first steps onto the internet are a positive experience.
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For further information, please contact Abi Stevens on 0778 666 0689. Notes to editors
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