Read our vision and strategy for helping to reach the 4 million.
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About Us
Martha Lane Fox was appointed independent Champion for Digital Inclusion in June 2009. Race Online 2012 is a national challenge to give 4 million socially and digitally excluded people the opportunity to get online by the London Olympics.
Most of us take the internet for granted. It saves us time and money, lets us keep in touch with family and friends, search for jobs, access a world of entertainment and fun and contact government services.
Yet 10 million people in the UK have never used the Internet. Of them, 4 million are also society’s least advantaged: the long-term unemployed; the elderly and isolated; people on low-incomes; and others facing difficult challenges in everyday life.
Our Vision
‘It is often the people facing the toughest times who have the most to gain from what technology has to offer and as the internet is rapidly becoming a tool for everyday life, we should work together to make sure everyone can benefit.’
Martha Lane Fox - Champion For Digital Inclusion
Race Online 2012 aims to bring people and organisations together to improve the life chances of the 4 million people who have never been online. We will focus on three main areas of activity:
- To support and challenge government, industry and the third sector on programme development and delivery
- To use Race Online 2012 to shine a light on partner activities and provide an intelligent hub of information and resources
- To join and leverage new and existing activities to ensure ‘face to face’ support is available to all socially and digitally excluded adults.
Race Online 2012 campaign objectives are to challenge central and local government and partners in the private and charity sectors to work together to ensure that:
- All low-income families with children who want it will have home access to the internet by 2012
- All unemployed adults who want it will have personal access to the internet, an email account, and the ICT skills to find vacancies and apply for jobs online by 2012
- Internet use by those over 65 is at least 50% by 2011, 60% by 2012, and that older people at risk of social exclusion can benefit from the internet as part of mainstream health and social care provision.
Interviews by Annie Dare, podcast produced by Becky Jacobs, music by Barry Gardner.
Our Strategy
Volunteer Strategy
Our vision is for UK volunteers to help one million socially excluded people experience the benefits of being online by 2012.
Digital Britain Report
Martha’s appointment was a result of the Digital Britain Report. The report's ambition was to ensure that ‘everyone could share in a digital Britain’.
