Race Online gets 100,000 digital champions
The Martha Lane Fox-led initiative ramps up its efforts with 100,000 digital champions to help spread the word.


The Race Online 2012 campaign has recruited 100,000 "digital champions" to help millions more UK citizens get online.
The UK's Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox announced the national network of volunteers, who will try and engage the nine million people in Britain who have never used the internet.
Prime Minister David Cameron has given the initiative his backing, saying it would help the UK in its bid to become the first ever country to have the entire population online.
"Often it is the impact of volunteers that can make the biggest difference," Cameron said.
"I'm so keen for everyone to get behind Race Online 2012 and its ambition to get as many people online as possible by the time of the London Olympics."
The 100,000 digital champions, who have been picked out from various organistions including BT and John Lewis, will make up the biggest ever cross-sector volunteer force.
"Today is a massive step forward in our ambition to create a truly remarkable digital UK where the internet is a tool that everybody can use for their benefit," Lane Fox added.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
"By bringing together an extraordinary mix of cross-sector partners we aim to eliminate the three major barriers that we know prevent people from getting online access, motivation and skills."
As part of the project, low price recycled PC products have been launched by Microsoft from 95, Remploy from 92 and XMA from 120.
We caught up with Remploy this week about its role in the Race Online 2012 campaign.
Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.
He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?
In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
By Kate O'Flaherty Published
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Lane-Fox scheme to flog sub-£100 PCs
News Martha Lane-Fox reveals plans to get many more online by offering cheap, refurbished PCs.
By Tom Brewster Published
-
Lane Fox: No money to get UK online
News The Government’s digital champion has admitted there is no cash in the kitty to encourage the 10 million people living offline to get onboard.
By Jennifer Scott Published