Nominations - Contribution to civic society award

18 Doughty Street has taken political coverage to a new level. It's strapline "Politics for adults" summarises just what Doughty Street is about.

No more yah booh politics. No dumbing down. No need for balance. A truly refreshing development in the field of politics. Superb interviewing from the likes of Iain Dale, and some great campaigning videos are just some of the initiatives which have re-engaged people with the field of political broadcasting.

Nominated by Jonathan Sheppard, 18 May 2007

For encouraging public participation in political debate and innovation in delivering information.

18 May 2007

I don't know where they get the name from, but this blog is the king of poitical new media

24 May 2007

Excellent work. Regardless of your political conviction, you have to accept that DS is giving space to the kind of intelligent, discursive political conversation eshwed by the mainstream some twenty plus years ago.

Submitted by Mick Fealty, 31 May 2007

I think this is a fabulous site. Serious, committed to poetry and literature. People comment upon and correct each other work in all seriousness. I love being on this site

Submitted by Zoya Zaidi, 31 May 2007

The Digital Divide has been a major issue overthe past five years in allowing disabled people to play a full part in society and communities. without access it is increasingly difficult for disabled people to network, to access education, and to enter employment. One of the key planks in bridging that divide is the provision of appropriate information and resources for individual solutions

There have been many barriers to access to independent advice in the past. Cost, Time, and Geography have all constrained services. This service allows more people to access the advice they need, personalised to their own needs than ever before. It is an innovative use of mainstream technology, that not only directly supports disabled people, but allows disabled people to play a increasingly significnat part in delivery and reduces the organisations carbon footprint.

This model of service delivery works for disbaled people, the delivery organisation and society more widely

Nominated by David Banes, 12 April 2007

using the remote online assessement tool has enabled centre users to alter the computer to suit their needs and showed them what is available to help them - information on alterntive mice and keyboards has been very useful.

Submitted by Joanna Greenwell, 16 May 2007

Val Smith works has put so much effort into setting up a successful community website. Despite having a young family and limited resources she has made remarkable progress in setting up and establishing a respected website that serves several villages and the town of wendover in Buckinghamshire, England.

The website is first for news and an excellent point of reference. Often beating local newspapers to hot news by a mile. I was involved at the local count for the local elections 3 May 2007

The results were only annonced at 1 pm onFriday 4 th May , by 2 pm on the same day the results were produced in full on the website. I was very impressed! She has given my French group 100 % support also my poems and political writing. Val deserves recognition for her superb effot serving the community with her website.

Nominated by Simon Icke, 18 May 2007

It is hard and probably dispiriting at times to generate interest in such a project. The website is always up to date, colourful and interesting to read.

Val does this all alone and obviously works very hard to initiate and maintain the site; including frequent fliers around the village to tell everyone what she's doing.

I believe she derserves recognition for her enthusiasm, professional competence and sheer hard work over the last two years.

Nominated by keith loxley, 21 May 2007

What a great idea! it is difficult to get to know anyone or anything in a modern village unless you have school age children and most of us don't. I have lived in Aston Clinton for over 20 years and I have learnt more about my village in the last 3 months that at any time before through this website.

Nominated by Brian Hinson, 22 May 2007

I live in an area which has not had local elections recently but have kept in touch with what is going on because my sister lives in the TA24 area. I must say I am impressed with the way your website has kept local people in touch with what is happening in a way that is informative, helpful and practical. It is a tremendous resouce!

Your nomination is well deserved.

Submitted by Mary Watson, 26 May 2007

The AboutMyArea local election campaign demonstrates how simple and intelligent use of new media can make a real difference. It reaffirms the importance of content. It shows how community-driven websites can be used to strengthen communities and engage local people in the democratic process.

Many new technologies have been sought out to address the problem of falling voter participation at elections. Solutions put forward include voting by email, web or text; push button voting; barcodes and machines for counting ballot papers. These have had little impact so far – or even caused new problems.

AboutMyArea argues that developing new technology for casting your vote cannot be an answer as it overlooks the basic need to provide the electorate with the information required to make a decision. Making it easier to vote does not motivate people to vote.

As tens of thousands of voters were not expected to receive election leaflets this May – and with some areas even banning the traditional lamp-post publicity for politicians – forty four AboutMyArea sites undertook to provide full information for all candidates, details of where and how to vote and to host on-line election statements for all would-be councillors. Some even provided a download button so that voters could print a pocket guide to the candidates to take to the polling booth.

Community web editors approached almost a thousand candidates from Cornwall to Inverness and rural Bedfordshire to metropolitan Barnsley. Local voters were then able to compare political hopefuls side by side – just like an online shopping site.

Politicians and election officers welcomed the move. Most encouraging of all was that website statistics revealed a hunger for the information among the local electorate. Across the AboutMyArea network web traffic was up by 15% and sites participating in the election campaign recorded their highest ever number of visitors.

Nominated by Mik Barton, 18 May 2007

Exellent!

Submitted by John.Hamer, 19 May 2007

I'm glad to see this up for an award. I saw this coverage in my local area, found it very informative & thought it was a great use of the web - no waiting for leaflets to come through the door & no bias to the main parties who can spend more on bumf. Well done those responsible.

Submitted by Mike Lawrie, 20 May 2007

I saw this in a neighbouring area and would love to see it in my local town, it is always very time consuming to track down all the candidate information - great to see it all together and in an easy way to digest.

Submitted by Elliot Bullingham, 25 May 2007

Perhaps I should have made it clear in my nomination that there were sites all over the UK participating in this election campaign, even though only a few links have been picked out as examples. All the participating site editors did a great job and put in a lot of hard work to get people in their area interested in the elections and motivated to vote.

Submitted by Mik Barton, 27 May 2007

I thought it was an excellent way of communicating to the general public both young and old and especially those that do not buy the local paper for one reason or another. The format was easy and straightforward and easy to follow. Well done to those who came up with this idea.

Submitted by David Horne, 28 May 2007

well deserved nomination.

as with everything on this site, it was of high quality, interesting and informative.

keep up the good work

Submitted by richard tovery, 30 May 2007

Nice to see that you have been nominated. Your site is very informative, easy to use and the coverage for the local elections especially made life easier for the voters then just lookin at boring leaflets

Submitted by Jen Glanville (PORLOCK), 30 May 2007

I fully support the "by the community for the community" idea and hope that many more local people get involved in their local sites. This could be a great way to help build stronger, more vibrant local communities.

Submitted by Cllr Jon Freeman, 31 May 2007

What a great idea.We always feel we should be voting but never seem to be sent leaflets by the candidates. This made it seem so much easier-why doesn't the government do this?They'd get far more people voting if they did

Submitted by Rebecca Cohen, 31 May 2007

This is surely one of the ways forward in the battle to re-engage the electorate. It is informative, relevant and worthwhile taking the time to read. User-friendly and attractive. I hope it wins the award! It certainly deserves to.

Submitted by Val Harrison, 31 May 2007

The site has proven very effective in bringing local people together and making them more active citizens. It seems to attract a wide cross section of the community.

Nominated by Mark Evans, 10 April 2007

For the past seven years Adam Sylvester has successfully promoted digital media communication as a tool that can rapidly reduce the time that it will take us to become a significantly more Civic Society. He’ll tell you the whole thing began by chance, but the best thing that I can do to illustrate the importance of his impact is to list some evidence:-

In the year 2000, on behalf of the Sheffield First Partnership, he co-ordinated a developmental programme for city-wide “e-“ communication systems, networks and infrastructure: OTIS (Opening the Information Society – A Blueprint for an “e-“ city). The access that Adam enjoyed gave him a pretty special early perspective on the digital environment : Sheffield became an ‘early adopter’, a magnet for digital knowledge workers that now work under the primary branding: ‘Creative Sheffield’. He gained an early overview of the opportunities for multiply deprived communities to profit from the deployment of high-speed, wide-bandwidth connectivity. He’s made great use of this early good fortune!

In 2002, whilst writing an interim evaluation of a project offering ‘homework classes’ that the Asian Welfare Association (AWA) was running, Adam discovered participants benefiting from thousands of hours of learning in an ‘open source’ / free-software suite. Realising that this was then a rare thing, he took the AWA to BECTA who supplied it with it’s own server and another suite with a mobile, laptop-wifi environment for a further twenty learners.

In 2003, he delivered start-up funding for the e-learning outfit www.greenspaghetti.co.uk who worked extensively across the ‘Creative Partnerships’ network.

In 2004, on behalf of The Public (Charity) Ltd, Adam oversaw participation in the high-speed / wide-bandwidth and immersive Marcel Partnership www.mmmarcel.org

Currently a Director of Access Space www.access-space.org the UK’s longest running open-access media lab, he’s got to be in the running..!

Nominated by Robin Downe, 30 May 2007

Big Picture TV, run by Marcus as a free media channel, streams informational videos on subjects relating to long-term global sustainability. Big Picture TV’s short video clips are of world renowned thinkers speaking on a wide range of social and environmental issues including climate change, energy, transport, design, corporate social responsibility and trade. Our panel of speakers features distinguished names such as HRH Prince of Wales, Nelson Mandela, Dame Jane Goodall, Dame Anita Roddick and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. With over 140 speakers currently on the site, Big Picture TV aims to help disseminate solution-oriented thinking and bring the web community closer to the individuals driving forward the sustainability movement. Recognizing that there was and still is a significant information gap on these critical issues in the Media, Marcus conceived, funded, designed, built and promoted this free educational channel. He had the dedication, courage and determination to produce several hundred “talking head” video clips by personally interviewing and filming world leaders in diverse specialist fields. His vision, along with a persuasive ability to enlist the help and support of others, has resulted in a remarkable entrepreneurial achievement worthy of public recognition.

Nominated by Marcus Morrell, 31 May 2007

Big Picture TV, run by Marcus as a free media channel, streams informational videos on subjects relating to long-term global sustainability. Big Picture TV’s short video clips are of world renowned thinkers speaking on a wide range of social and environmental issues including climate change, energy, transport, design, corporate social responsibility and trade. Our panel of speakers features distinguished names such as HRH Prince of Wales, Nelson Mandela, Dame Jane Goodall, Dame Anita Roddick and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. With over 140 speakers currently on the site, Big Picture TV aims to help disseminate solution-oriented thinking and bring the web community closer to the individuals driving forward the sustainability movement. Recognizing that there was and still is a significant information gap on these critical issues in the Media, Marcus conceived, funded, designed, built and promoted this free educational channel. He had the dedication, courage and determination to produce several hundred “talking head” video clips by personally interviewing and filming world leaders in diverse specialist fields. His vision, along with a persuasive ability to enlist the help and support of others, has resulted in a remarkable entrepreneurial achievement worthy of recognition.

Nominated by Marcus Morrell, 31 May 2007

Bristol City Council has a proven track record of using new technology to broaden democratic engagement through e-petitions, discussion forums and campaign creation. Viewfinder’s underlying assumption is the fact that pictures, still or moving, are often the most effective way to communicate. This project uses Web2.0 techniques from successful sites such as YouTube and MySpace in order to create a new trusted and neutral social space. This use of multimedia techniques engages young people in the democratic process as well as addressing the fact that many people, of all ages, are turned off by the democratic process because “it is all about words”. The issue of user preference is also tackled by the ability to use mobile phones as one of the communication channels moving away from the dominance of the PC as the primary tool for eDemocracy.

A full evaluation is being carried out and will be fed back to the Department for Constitutional Affairs for wider circulation later this year. The main benefits anticipated are not just increased numbers of people being involved in the democratic process but increased levels of sophistication in users responses. The project has an expectation that by creating a more neutral/mutual space and by using a medium of choice for young people we are removing a major barrier and creating an opportunity for interaction with government. It is also hoped the young people involved with Viewfinder will gain a greater understanding of the relevance and importance of local government. Unlike other interactive sites Viewfinder, because it isn’t a commercial enterprise, has the unique position of being able to offer members of the community an opportunity to interact in a trusted environment and gain feedback which will encourage ongoing engagement.

Nominated by Catherine Howe, 08 May 2007

Great idea. Governments definately need to be catching up with their citizens in terms of application of technology, and this scheme appears to have the potential to improve confidence in goverments\' and councils\' abilities to communicate with their constituents.

Submitted by Duncan Nicholas, 08 May 2007

Our approach has been to use existing mobile telephone technology and in particular it's texting capability and combine it with our council's E-mail system to put an innovative twist into communicating between the public and our CCTV Control Room.

The objective was to engage and empower the people living and working in the area we cover by encouraging them to take some responsibility in helping to fight crime and anti-social behaviour by giving them the ability to contact CCTV direct and by allowing them to provide information on things that concern them.

We believe that this is the first time that this type of interaction between the public and CCTV has been attempted in the UK or anywhere else.

Like all good ideas it was simple to set up and cost effective both in terms of money (entire capital cost was £7k) and in the work load, there has been no significant increase in the amount of work CCTV staff are required to do and yet we see a large increase in the flow of information.

This initiative has proved to be very popular with the public, media, our other partners and our own council who are considering rolling our texting services to other departments within the council. We have also been assisting other council's and police forces around the country who are considering setting up similar systems.

We believe that this is a good and cost effective use of existing technology and is worthy of your consideration.

Nominated by Martin Beaumont, 03 April 2007

The Texting service allows members of the public (and particularly young people)to report low level issues that can be verified by CCTV and ongoing incidents in a way that is highly accessible and immediate. This new service characterises the innovation used by the CCTV team to continual refresh their service and improve performance.

Nominated by Ste Thornley, 05 April 2007

This is an excellent example of best practice in a busy CCTV control room which I intend to copy when we open our new room early next year. It addresses a demand which needs to be met in a cost effective way and can easily be replicated in the CCTV conrol room which I manage.

Submitted by David Dodd, 15 May 2007

A very simple method of empowering the population to do something about crime and injustice.

Submitted by Rupert Cloke, 15 May 2007

Effective CCTV relies on accurate and current information. This initiative adrresses both and also engages community cohesion gaining peoples trust and support. An excellent idea that I shall be considering for my own location.

Submitted by Andy Jones, 15 May 2007

This is a really innovative idea and can be used to encourage young people to get involved in community safety action. It talks to them in a media they understand.

Submitted by Lynda Kilkelly, 15 May 2007

This excellent initiative seeks to connect young people to the CCTV system which is very relevent in a lively student/young persons city like Cambridge

Submitted by John Cowin, 15 May 2007

"The devil makes work for idle thumbs" - in this case an excellent piece of work. I'd like to copy this for our area, it makes excellent sense and should be highly commended.

Submitted by Andy Wells, 15 May 2007

Cambridge have a very active participation in developing new initiatives for Community Safety and especially CCTV. Another excellent idea and scheme

Submitted by Kevin White, 16 May 2007

24 May 2007

This website is dedicated purely to those who who are disabled or have disabilities of some sort. The site allows them to look up areas which would have access for their needs and allows the reassurance that they will be catered for wherever they may go

14 May 2007

The Direct Enquiries service enables users to make searches by clicking on any number of 17 logos on the home page representing their needs or disability to ensure the most relevant results. Users then type in a London station, business or service, its location, or both. The details returned in a search on an underground station, for example,include information on the number of steps, lifts, escalators, walking distances and gap width between the platform and the train.

The site also allows passengers to find out detailed information about all 252 stations, such as whether staff are trained to help with

improving disabled access, seats, telephones and how many stairs there

are. And the resource provides detailed text only information on

interchanges between station platforms as well as street-level access

information.

14 May 2007

The DLF site has been incredibly successful, attracting almost 100,000 visitors since it was re-launched in October 2006. In total over 530,000 page views have been recorded made by over 130,000 visits.

Bert Massie, Chariman of the Disability Rights Commission and Vice President of the DLF states: “The Disabled Living Foundation has always led the way in advising disabled people on equipment to promote independent living. In a complex world where new equipment is being developed on a regular basis, an effective and authoritative source of advice is essential for disabled people. The Disabled Living Foundation provides this”

The website was awarded a special \'Information Merit\' star rating in The Good Website. Guide 2006. The rating is given to those websites whose \'site content goes beyond what would normally be considered reasonable and provides a level of information that is exceptional\'.

Services offered include a helpline that responds to up to 25,000 telephone, letter and email enquiries about disability equipment and suppliers every year; free factsheets, training programmes and equipment demonstrations, and an online tool that allows you to carry out a self assessment to see what disabled accessories can help you called ‘SARA’.

The information provided and the products offered have engaged the user in a unique way. Never before has a service such as been offered under one roof that deliberately traditionally targets hard to reach groups. Comments from satisfied DLF users have included the following:

“The Disabled Living Foundation provides a wonderful service for those living with difficulties, giving them a chance to lead a full life – free from stress. A little goes a long way.”

Alison Steadman,

Actress

Nominated by Stel Grekos, 31 May 2007

Divorce-Online continues to offer a good mix of free content together with low cost legal services.

Nominated by Mark Keenan, 23 February 2007

I thought this was a commercial limited company selling divorce document services?

Submitted by Matthew Taylor, 05 April 2007

This site is brill, i save up all my chores and get them done all at the same time.

Nominated by Andrew Stepps, 24 May 2007

Election Alarm Clock has been developed by Delib, the UK’s leading e-democracy company, in conjunction with the Electoral Commission and the London Borough of Lambeth.

The service was developed off the back of Electoral Commission research which identified that a high percentage of people do not vote because they're either not registered on the electoral register (due to moving house) or because they forget to vote on election day.

Election Alarm Clock is designed as a simple way of helping increase election turnout using everyday technologies.

18 May 2007

Subsidies paid to farmers under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy amount to approximately €55 billion a year, around 45% of European Union’s entire annual budget, or around €115 for each EU citizen. The shared aim of the farmsubsidy.org network is to obtain - through freedom of information (FOI) requests – comprehensive data about where this money goes and present it in a way that is useful to European citizens, policy-makers and the media.

Together with partner organizations and individuals, farmsubsidy.org is building a pan-European network of organizations and individuals working to obtain, analyze and publish data on farm subsidies. Farmsubsidy.org was co-founded and is led by Jack Thurston, Executive Director of EU Transparency, a non-profit organization based in the UK. The other core network members are Brigitte Alfter, a German-born journalist based in Brussels, who also writes for the Danish broadsheet ‘Information’ and Nils Mulvad, based in Denmark and one of the leading European innovators of computer assisted reporting, voted European Journalist of the Year 2006 for his sleuthing of farm subsidy recipients in Denmark.

Transparency is an important principle underpinning the accountability and legitimacy of government to an active and well-informed civil society. The farm subsidy database has recorded almost 2 million user searches since it was launched in December 2005 and the data has made headlines across the European Union. The work of farmsubsidy.org has also led to a far-reaching change in EU policy on transparency which was agreed in December 2006. From 2007 onwards, all EU spending will be subject to full transparency as to the end recipients. Farmsubsidy.org was described by the WorldChanging blog as an example of 'geek activism done right'.

Nominated by Rob Blackhurst, 03 May 2007

Sites such as YouTube and others while highlighting the potential for quality user generated content, tend to trivialize debate by burying most of the serious content beneath a mass of popular entertainment oriented material.

Friction.TV is dedicated to providing a platform for important debate. They can best be described as a snack-sized Sixty Minutes or Newsnight - but without any hidden agenda, bias or corporate control. Or for those in the UK - the equivalent of Speakers Corner Online.

You say what you want to say, however you want to say it. Debate issues of local interest to you or discuss points of global importance. Either way, Friction.TV will provide an interesting and stimulating alternative to the sanitised, agenda driven mediocrity of the conventional mass media.

15 May 2007

I have been on this site a number of times. I think it's great because there are a number of topics covered from "Should Harry go to war" to "Is Paris Hilton too pretty to go to prison?". Big name politicians and 'Dave down the road' have an equal platform for putting their thoughts across. I think that Friction TV sets itself apart from other user generated sites because it encourages debate.

Submitted by Nyree Jordan, 21 May 2007

3 words - I love it! Very cool to hear what other people on the street think about various issues in the world without BIG MEDIA getting in the way.

Submitted by James Sawyer, 23 May 2007

It's an amazing reference tool for popular opinion. Really interesting, with a diverse user base.

Submitted by M Watson, 23 May 2007

The Greenpeace website tries to promote action through inviting people to get involved in a number of ways in capacities. Online, Greenpeace provides a detailed account of its latest activities in a blog that covers what it's been up to worldwide. In the blog, there are many pictures and videos to showcase the group's involvement. Also, Greenpeace used the web to keep everyone up-to-date with the latest environmental news as it relates to their goals.

19 April 2007

The Greener Apple website has a very attractive layout that closely resembles that of the official Apple website. Using "Apple-like language" (like iPoison, .mAct, iPush) and colorful graphics to illustrate the project goals, the website presents a convincing arguement and uses creative tactics to get its message across. You can even buy "greener" Apple t-shirts, alert friends about the campaign with e-cards, submit videos about Greener Apple using some provided footage and learn about plans of action to love your Mac while making it greener.

19 April 2007

Young people in the UK are often unfairly portrayed by the media, to the point that they can sometimes appear to be demonised.

Headliners is a unique organisation in that it allows young people to answer back; teaching them important media literacy skills and helping create stories that put young people's opinions into the mainstream news agenda.

It gives young people the opportunity to explore the world around them - from the very real issues of living on gang-ridden estates to how young people themselves are tackling the HIV epidemic in Africa.

Young people set the agenda; choosing the stories that most interest them and then set about researching and conducting interviews before writing or editing the story for publication or broadcast. In the last twelve months Headliners has interviewed everyone from cabinet ministers to NGOs, to journalists, to business leaders… but most importantly they have interviewed other young people.

Headliners is not an organisation just for bright-young high-fliers; it specifically targets young people who are at risk of exclusion or isolation; either because of their ethnicity, their social status, a disability or long-term illness, the fact they have been in care, are a young parent or have been excluded from the education system. In Northern Ireland, where there are two bases, Headliners was one of the first youth organisations to actively work with all sections of the community without prejudice.

Using new media to publish stories, both written and audio/visual, means that a far larger number of people can access the work our young reporters have been doing. Headliners is continuing to explore new ways to use new media to further their work, and welcomes the recognition of what it seeks to achieve to benefit young people and society at large.

Nominated by Oliver Benson, 05 March 2007

I just browsed the Headliners site and was in such admiration for what they are trying to do. The project seems to cover so many bases like self-empowerment, communication skills, discovering other ways to live, involvement in community and a sense of care and commitment from all involved.

I hope this does so well that it replicates throughout Britain - it could almost be 'apprenticed' to a newspaper in every town where a supplement could be included weekly or monthly - written by the youths and guided by their mentors.

Best of luck.

Namaste,

Tina Louise

Submitted by Tina Louise, 20 March 2007

i think that this was the weirdest message evr lmao i think it was hilarious

Submitted by bobalaquisha yolanda bobobobanda lakisha lakisha monisha fonquis, 13 May 2007

I would like to voice my support for the nomination for Headliners as an innovative and dynamic contributor to civic society. The organisation takes a wholly young people-centred approach in all it does, and provides a broad range of opportunities for young people to really make their opinions heard. Headliners offers young people real oportunities to learn new skills, enhance those that they already bring and to put these into practice, but most importantly it provides them with the chance to make a real impact as it puts the agenda firmly in their hands. The staff at Headliners work hard to ensure that projects are linked to policy-makers and media organisations, so that the young people who get involved have direct access to them. If there is one media organisation that deserves proper recognition for the brilliant work that it does, Headliners is it.

Submitted by Sue, 23 May 2007

The most interesting part of the I Count website is their "My actions" section, where supporters can put themselves on the map and see who else is working for the same things in their area. They can also learn how to "dish the dirt" and conserve water, as well as swap clothes with friends instead of splurging on a new outfit. There are also downloadable stickers and a list of events. Registering with I Count will let users have access to all resources on the website as well as updates on the group's activities.

19 April 2007

Iain Dale brings a humility and charm to the blogging world that really winds up mainstream editors and journalists. He's the blogger's friend and people\'s representative on the internet and takes no prisoners be they media or political when he thinks they've done something wrong. He really does stand up for the little guy and has amassed a national audience bigger than any other political blog. His contribution to civic society and politics has made waves and changed the modern political landscape when it comes to the internet. There is no one conservative blogger that deserves this award more than Iain Dale. He doesn\'t rant, he sources, he references and he\'s not a right-wing nutter with an agenda.

Nominated by Mike Rouse, 25 May 2007

Intelligentgiving.com has been described as the Which? magazine of charities. It is a free, outspoken website designed to demystify the charity world - helping everyone give to charity happily and with confidence.

It offers:

- An intelligent search system allowing you to find your kind of charity

- The truth about charity muggers, chief executives salaries and more

- Listings of charities which have won awards

- Listings of charities recommended by experts

- A calculator helping visitors decide how much to give

- Ranked profiles of the country’s largest 500 charities

Basic details of a further 1000 charities

- Comprehensive listings of where to get rid of old junk from clothes and mobile phones, to glasses and computers

Intelligent Giving is innovative in its approach to reporting on and about charities. Rather than copy the somewhat dull and worthy style of the charity sector, Intelligent Giving presents serious information in a fun way that is accessible to ‘the person on the street’. The style, tone of voice and humour is a breath of fresh air in what can often be a stifling sector.

The website makes excellent use of new technologies and is constantly being updated and improved as new information and challenges arise.

There is no other site like it in the UK and it deserves to be a huge success.

Nominated by Neill Ghosh, 27 February 2007

He should win this award becasue not only did he come of with an effective way to communicate and build a greater sense of community - through his tireless efforts he's gotten others to use it! (because it's so easy)

The results speak for themselves. There is a sense of community where none existed before. Think about it, King's Cross, not Chelsea!

Nominated by Stephan Schulte, 30 May 2007

it's great to be nominated - the website is about making kings cross a better place to live.

stephan schulte ran (and still runs) a kings cross community email list to organise and galvanise local activists. I built on this web 1.0 approach using powerful but easy to use off the shelf web 2.0 tools. With my collaborators I have tried to build a bridge between online activism and existing political institutions that actually take the decisions on the ground. getting councillors involved in the site, driving audiences to planning meetings, getting people to write letters and emails, praising council officials who do well, generating feedback for local public services.

this actually gets things done and changed to make the environment better, rather than just fulminating in an online bubble as some sites do.

simple use of video has been particularly powerful directly in cutting through the bureaucracy of noise complaints and indirectly in communicating messages.

we also leaven the mix to make activism more palatable with local restaurant and shopping reviews, nature stuff, photos, local history etc

cheers

Submitted by will perrin, 31 May 2007

It would have been very difficult and unaccomodating for people our communities to see the light of day without MAG.

MAg works in;-

-Use the media as a medium through which various development advocacies will be collected, analyzed and diffused, so as to enhance efforts geared at elevating the living standard of the people.

-Mobilize various sectors of the society through specialized media programs to acquire forward looking and concerned attitudes towards our endangered biodiversity.

-Sensitization and education of democratic values, good governance and the fight against corruption.

-Recognizing and promoting development actors.

-Encourage the use of indigenous knowledge systems in the execution or realization of daily social, economic, cultural and educational obligation.

-Conduct cross-cultural research, produce documentaries and other related publication for the enhancement of general learning.

-Encourage global dialogue, while stressing the need and strength of an African Union market and economy.

-Encourage abstinence and fidelity and promote the campaign against Malaria, HIV/AIDS and other related diseases.

-Gender equality and the rights of woman and the girl child.

-Taking care and providing for Street children, motherless children and the MAG orphanage.

-Capacity building in leadership, women’s right and protection of the girl child.

-Providing free training to the underprivileged to take a career for sustainable development.

-Serve as a regional media-training center for the independent media and related structures in Cameroon, CEMAC region and Africa.

-Facilitate an effective exchange of information on media resource between media organizations in Africa.

-Human right and press freedom.

-Promote ethical practices in the field of media leadership and development..

-Promote linkages between Media Africa and other organizations to enhance the availability of training and other capacity building resources for the media in Africa.

-The role of the media in strengthening democracy, democratic principles and values in Africa.

-Serve as a multipurpose skill and knowledge-dispensing center, for cross table professionals and other persons.

Media Africa Group is a Non-governmental organization, not for profit making organization, devoted to promote the vulgarization of various communication media, as a vehicle for multifunctional and sustainable development needs of the several developing community in Africa.

The modus of media Africa is based on the premise that those who stand to benefit from the invaluable potential of modern communication media are also those who have least access to these media. Such communities and persons have therefore been left not only ill equipped, but do not have basic access in discussions, debates and contribution about those key development related issues that profoundly affect their lives.

Inspite the dificult times, Media Africa has made efforts to pull the necessary material and human resources to close this expensive gap. By doing so, Media Africa has acquired equipment and other related resources, to empower both individuals and communities, increasing their access and ability to use various modern communication media to disseminate sustainable development practices, and this to the general improvement of the health, less privileged and economic well-being of these communities.

Nominated by Beltha Ngono Massah, 08 May 2007

This is a public space – independent of government, commercial interests and the news media – where people can respond, react, review and reflect on the news

Each week, topical questions are asked about the news – its accuracy, fairness, context, sourcing and ethics. The questions are intended to provoke public debate about news standards – to draw attention to the good stuff and expose the bad.

15 May 2007

In an increasingly busy world, we don't always have time to get out and meet those around us, and this website tries to fix that because it's often much nicer, not to mention more enjoyable, to know your neighbors. My Neighborhoods also tries to act as a guide for people in certain areas to share advice, such as where to go to get a car fixed or what electricians are best.

12 April 2007

I see this site as having huge potential and in a society where local society seems to be dead (I do not know my neighbours and have lived in my house for 2 years!!). I feel this site will grow and allow local communities to regain the community spirit, initially via anonomous communication and safety. The ability to be able to set up local forums and community groups is an excellent idea and the opportunities in my opinion are endless.

A great idea that I am sure could well prove to be the next big thing aka My Space, Up My Street, Face Book etc. Good luck to the team at My Neighbourhoods.

Nominated by Oliver Mudge, 13 April 2007

In a time when it has become harder to get to know your neighbours, this website is promoting and encouraging us to connect and communicate with one another.

Nominated by fiona mccarry, 16 May 2007

The aim of myguide is to provide a 'radically simple' way of using the internet for the estimated 14m people 'excluded' from technology.

The myguide website - www.myguide.gov.uk - offers a free, easy-to-use email service and search tools from a simple, banner-free, ad-free website. myguide allows people to personalise and save their settings, change screen colours or font size, and even choose to have the text read to them without needing to use additional software. Because myguide is for beginners, it's designed to be supported by centres so staff can ensure people's first steps onto the internet are a positive experience.

Research from a pilot which took place last year (to be published in June), shows customers felt centre staff were a key part of the myguide offering - 97% enjoyed using the service. For some customers, myguide was a stepping-stone onto new things. 57% of those taking part said they wanted to go on to do an education or training course, and 64% said it made them think about looking for more satisfying or varied work.

From the proof of concept to the marketing, design and delivery, each stage of myguide's development has referred back to people who can't, won't or don't use computers. The service has been developed using their direct feedback and involvement, and with the input of partner organisations including AbilityNet, Age Concern Training and RNIB.

ICT skills can connect citizens to each other, to their communities, to government, to information, to new skills, jobs, hobbies and the freedom of online services. The national rollout of myguide received approval from the DfES (Department for Education and Skills) in May 2007. We believe it has a key role to play in helping digitally excluded people make the most of the significant benefits technology can offer.

Nominated by Patricia Morrell, 31 May 2007

Having looked at Myguide we are exited by the way we will be able to engage new learners to the e-world. It will be great at introducing people to the internet in an informal manner and will seemlessly lead them into more formal IAG and and on-line skills for life courses no matter what their age or background.

Submitted by Mark Brownbill, 31 May 2007

A very user friendly site! Ideal for people not used to the internet.

And very "web" search engine

Submitted by Don Jenkins, 31 May 2007

Having spent many years working with people new to computers and the Internet, myguide is the first 'all in one' home site that we have discovered that is simple to use, simply laid out and is fully customisable for people with visual disabilities. We are convinced that, with the help of the network of UK Online Centres, the use of myguide will go a long way to help close the digital divide for the most disadvantaged in society

Submitted by George Curry, 31 May 2007

I completely agree with the above comments. My Guide is an ideal site for newcomers to the internet, offering them an "unfussy" and user friendly e-mail account which has already proved popular with several learners in this training centre.

Submitted by Martin Clark, 31 May 2007

myguide is just what we need for our timid learners. no frills, does exactly what it says on the tin. when you are new to email and the internet, you can get totally confused by all the 'stuff' that gets thrown at you. myguide allows new users to learn how to use the internet in a safe and comfortable environmment.

Submitted by Chris Pickering, 31 May 2007

My Guide is a real asset to both learners and tutors; it is a calm, clear and uncluttered it is a learner friendly environment, where users grow in both confidence and competence before their tutors eyes! My Guide is the ideal ‘first step’ into the scary world of new technology for new and less confident users – here at COSMIC (in rural East Devon), we just love it!

Submitted by Menna Williams, 31 May 2007

My Guide is very user-friendly and is a great introduction for those that would like to know how to use the internet but find computers daunting

Submitted by Paul Taylor-Morris, 31 May 2007

As with other posters, I too have no hesitation in recommending Myguide to the members of the community in which I work, which is one of the most deprived in Bristol. It is very easy to use and takes a lot of the pain out of working with new users, particularly as regards the basic task of setting up email accounts.

Submitted by Steve Woods, 31 May 2007

My Guide looks like an excellent tool for introducing people to the benefits of the internet and helping them to increase their confidence. In a world so dominated and reliant on technology, providing more people with this opportunity can only be a great step.

Submitted by Kim Reynolds, 31 May 2007

Here in rural Devon we work with many 'computer and internet terrified' people who feel isolated and excluded. My Guide is a gentle, non-scary introduction to the internet and emailing. Its exactly the training tool we've been waiting for, one we can use with confidence, we love it!

Submitted by Mary Matthews, 31 May 2007

Too many websites/tutorials/software packages assume too much prior knowledge, which can be stressful and de-motivating to beginners, and even people with a fair amount of IT experience. This is perfect as it is straightforward and clear

Submitted by Ali Grant, 31 May 2007

My Guide is an excellent tool for getting learners over that initial 'I can't do this' hurdle, and on into further ICT training that improves their job prospects and employability.

Submitted by Jenny Coleman, 31 May 2007

Simple to use, no 'clutter' or adverts on the screens - enables those new to email to quickly understand how to use it. Also enables anyone to have their own, free, email address which they can then use at UK Online Centres if they don't have a computer or internet access at home/work.

Submitted by Nicola Checkley, 31 May 2007

Why wasn't My Guide developed sooner! It is a wonderful product allowing nervous first-timers to enter the computer age and join all the millions of e-mailers. It is so simple to sign up for the My Guide account and importantly does not patronise the user. Thank you.

Submitted by Janet Painting, 31 May 2007

The name, 'My Guide’ says it all. I believe My Guide empowers novice users by providing them with a positive and friendly experience of the internet. The ability for the user to customise My Guide to their personal preferences establishes recognized individual ownership of the product.

My Guide offers clear instructions building users confidence as they progress through each step.

Submitted by Margaret Thomson, 31 May 2007

As someone who has been passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to the benefits offered by the online world I have been really excited by the potential of myguide to make it really easy for people to take their first steps online. It is addressing a clear gap in the market and I have been very impressed with the way that Ufi took a good idea, implemented it well and have continued to improve it.

Submitted by Michael Mulquin, 31 May 2007

I\'ve been showing MyGuide to people with little or no IT knowledge and even to those who were scared to even turn a computer on and I can honestly say that once they\'ve seen how easy and non-threatening MyGuide is to become a part of and to use, it has turned their whole fear of IT completely on its head. I\'ve shown people with no job and no email address how to get a MyGuie account and how to have a free email (webmail) account using MyGuide which they can access for nothing at public libraries and they\'ve been amazed at how useful and easy both the email side and the searching side of MyGuide is. The sooner this excellent site is mae available to all nationally, the better.

Submitted by Chris Pope, 31 May 2007

"My Guide" provides an excellent introduction to email for complete beginners. Simple to set up and easy to use - a good confidence building experience for the new user.

Submitted by Anne-Marie Blackie, 31 May 2007

I worked with a wide range of organisations who were using myguide as a tool to introduce the internet to their clients. The messages I got back from people who had run myguide sessions was that it is a valuable tool for simplifying the web for their users.

I expect it to become the standard for showing those who have not used the internet or who have had bad experiences just how useful the internet can be.

Submitted by Maurice Mcleod, 01 June 2007

Having seen MY Guide used by older people who were computer shy it is pleasing to see the progress and satisfaction from the users point of view

Submitted by Jayne Longfield, 01 June 2007

MyGuide is an excellent entry point for new web users

Submitted by chris spain, 01 June 2007

Myguide has proved to be an excellent tool to get people started on the internet. It has touched people's lives by opening up the possibilities of using the internet and email - for instance allowing grandparents to email their children abroad. The myguide pillot evaluation conducted in 2006 demonstrated that it improves users IT skills and helps to develop users self confidence. A well designed tool with great benefits for its users!!

Submitted by Jane Simister, 01 June 2007

A very useful tool for introducing 'newbies' to ICT and letting them experience the opportunities of going 'on-line' in a simple uncomplicated way. A great tool for us tutors to address the needs of the 'hard to access' without the the heavy hand targets set by other organisations!!

Submitted by Maurice King, 01 June 2007

The myguide project was very interesting to my learners and I. I help to deliver ICT to vest range of people from the Kirklees area of West Yorkshire. The learner rang from 18 to silver surfers my oldest learner is 93 years young.

I considered the project as a could be very useful Internet tool, as not being in the project area the selective search engine did not pull up relevant information for our area.

The idea of incorporating all web services in to one site is very good for people who are not familiar with the Internet.

A number of my learners still use the mygiude web site even though the project has not gone nationwide yet.

A good all round project.

Neil Rhodes

Learning Technician

The Disabled People’s Electronic Village Hall

Dewsbury

Yorkshire

Submitted by Neil Rhodes, 01 June 2007

Myguide is really helpful and a valuable asset to our online centre. Most of our users are elderly and can find IT quite daunting, but Myguide eases them into it, installing confidence.

Submitted by Tania Jones, 01 June 2007

A tremendously effective way of helping those without I.T experience quickly learn the basics of emailing and surfing. Where Myguide really does shine is the audio and visual settings that can be tailor made to suit the individual.

Submitted by Neil Jones, 01 June 2007

As independent research consultants conducting the evaluation of the myguide pilot, we found that it offers a website and support service that makes someone's first steps onto the Internet easy, intuitive and non-threatening. It provides a supported and accessible way of getting users started on the Internet.The UK online team has done a wonderful job getting myguide into centres and we now look forward to the national roll-out.

Submitted by Nigel Maxfield, 01 June 2007

Myguide is brilliant! At last complete beginners can go online and create an email account - what ever their age! The feedback on the search function has also been, without exception, very positive. It's daunting for beginners to face the prospect of seaching through 1 million websites if they use the google search engine. They are far happier with Myguide, which gives them just 20 sites to look through.

Myguide should win this award because it is an excellent product - but even more important is that if it receives a higher profile perhaps more people will realise that there are ways of designing websites so that the Internet can be accessed by everyone.

Submitted by Sue Henley, 01 June 2007

"It does what it says on the tin!" An excellent starting point for those new to the internet, with particularly good back-up resources - the colour-coded guides that match the pages on screen are excellent.

All our learners have found it to be of benefit & de-bunking the myth that the internet is for "techies" - with MyGuide, ANYONE can surf the 'net.

Submitted by Stuart Ashmore, 01 June 2007

My learners found My Guide to be extremely user friendly and uncomplicated. It is a great tool for first time users of the internet and more hesitant learners.

I work with learners with longterm mental-ill health and My Guide is really accessible to them.

Submitted by Caroline Lillie, 01 June 2007

Myguide is straightforward and easy to use. The website has the option to change the background colour, also the size and colour of text and there is also a screen reader making the website more accessible for people who have reading difficulties or are visually impaired. The tutorials have been written in clear easy to understand language, which is ideal for new users.

The login registration requires minimum information from the user. E-mail accounts can be set up very quickly. A well-designed site that has been developed for new Internet users.

Submitted by Alan Wills, 01 June 2007

I use Myguide with new email and internet learners. The site is so simple to use that even beginners can register themselves with the minimum amount of help and are soon emailing each other. It promotes equality as it can be customised for people with visual and other difficulties and because learners rapidly become competent and confident. It's wonderful to have a product which is user-centred and user-friendly.

Submitted by Irene Benson, 01 June 2007

We have found this to be an invaluable resource especially for older learnerswho have felt terrified about using emails and the internet. One learner described it as "like learning to ride a bicycle with stabilisers!"

Submitted by Mo Wyrill, 01 June 2007

A simple, easy to understand, feedback-loop equipped nationwide civic reporting tool built in a few weeks, for under £20,000. All the code is open source, and the service is undergoing continual iteration in response to requests from users and councils.

Nominated by Tom Loosemore, 29 May 2007

A simple, easy to understand, feedback-loop equipped nationwide civic reporting tool built in a few weeks, for under £20,000.

All the code is open source, and the service is undergoing continual iteration in response to requests from users and councils.

Nominated by Tom Loosemore, 29 May 2007

A simple, accessible, easy to understand, feedback-loop equipped nationwide civic reporting tool built in a few weeks, for under £20,000.

All the code is open source, and the service is undergoing continual iteration in response to requests from users and councils.

Nominated by Tom Loosemore, 29 May 2007

e.g. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax

the site has clear advocacy benefits for anyone to be able to create a petition on an issue and allow others to state their support for the petition. The guy who created the traveltax petition was one guy typing into a web form - he didnt aim to start a national movement, but did because so many people agreed with his statement.

Anyone can advocate a position or change, have it posted to the site, and then see what happens.

Nominated by Sam Smith, 15 May 2007

The petitions site is an example of how government can potentially be more open and democratic.

29 May 2007

No.10 Web team deserve the award for having the cojones to do want to try something so obviously risky, but worth it.

MySociety deserve the award for building a typically simple site, while retaining all the safeguards regarding personal data that one would expect from the organisation responsible for WriteToThem.com and Pledgebank.com.

Plus, anyone who can engineer a technical solution capable of serving a sustained peak well in excess of 150 email-validated registrations a second on a few thousands pounds-worth of hardware deserves serious plaudits.

Finally, both deserve a medal for holding their nerve amid a mainstream media maelstrom of rare intensity, in circumstances that could hardly have been more adverse.

The fact that MPs are now keen to have their own e-petitions service on parliament.uk is testament to the power of a good idea, well executed. Good job all the MySociety code is open-source.

Nominated by Tom Loosemore, 29 May 2007

No.10 Web team deserve the award for having the cojones to try something so obviously risky, but worth it.

MySociety deserve the award for building a typically simple site, while retaining all the safeguards regarding personal data that one would expect from the organisation responsible for WriteToThem.com and Pledgebank.com.

And anyone who can engineer a technical solution capable of serving a sustained peak well in excess of 150 email-validated registrations a second on a few thousands pounds-worth of hardware deserves serious plaudits.

Finally, both deserve a medal for holding their nerve amid a mainstream media maelstrom of rare intensity, in circumstances that could hardly have been more adverse.

The fact that MPs are now keen to have their own e-petitions service on parliament.uk is testament to the power of a good idea, well executed. Good job all the MySociety code is open-source.

Nominated by Tom Loosemore, 29 May 2007