Give An Hour during the Summer Of Sport and help someone make more of being online.
Chris Hollins and Fatima Whitbread today (July 2) launched this year’s Give An Hour campaign. Chris and Fatima are encouraging people to donate one hour of their time to help someone they know get more out of being online.
With such a fabulous array of sporting events planned for the summer including Wimbledon, The Open Championships and The Olympic Games, people who lack confidence online could be missing out on all the coverage.
Following the success of last year’s Give An Hour campaign, BBC Learning and its partners are encouraging the estimated 30 million people in the UK who use the internet regularly to help a friend, family member or colleague to improve their internet skills and, in turn, their enjoyment of the BBC’s sports coverage over the summer.
TV Presenter Chris Hollins explains: “It’s only in the last few years that I’ve really got to grips with using the internet. My wife sat me down and forced - she called it 'helping' - me. She’s very patient. Now I have computer sessions with my mum and dad to help them, and I ‘gave an hour’ to Fatima Whitbread.
“I know how intimidating a computer can seem – especially if you’re frightened that you might press the wrong button and erase something, or lose a page. But if someone can give you an hour, the fear disappears and it can be fun.”
World Javelin champion Fatima Whitbread benefitted from Chris giving an hour to her and has gone on to give an hour to her mum. "There’s so much for the sports fan to enjoy on the BBC’s websites - you can get the lowdown on your favourite athlete, or sport; read all the blogs, or watch some lovely films from 1948, the last time London hosted the games. For many years my mum was my coach, so it was nice to teach her something.”
The BBC will be running a two-week promotional campaign on BBC One from June 30 which will direct people to the bbc.co.uk/giveanhour website where there is a series of films fronted by Chris and Fatima to encourage people and make it as easy as possible to get involved. There are also accompanying written guides, as well as a handbook on how to use the extra hour most effectively to introduce someone to the internet.
There will also be a flagship event hosted by Chris Hollins and Fatima Whitbread and held at Salford's MediaCityUK on July 7 and 8 where members of the public can participate in free Give an Hour digital skills sessions. Tickets are available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/events/give_an_hour_2012
The BBC is working in partnership with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver the Give an Hour campaign including with Go ON UK founder members such as The Post Office and Lloyds Banking Group as well as BDUK (Broadband Delivery UK) and UK online centres.
UK Digital Champion and Chair of Go ON UK, Martha Lane Fox has highlighted how emerging technology can bring people together during national events: “In 1953, 27 million Brits gathered round the telly to watch the Queen’s Coronation. Fast forward 60 years, and this summer of sport is set to do for the web what the Coronation did for the box. Most of us already head straight online for the latest sports results and clips, but many are still missing out on the information revolution that is the world wide web.
"This year’s Give An Hour Summer Of Sport Campaign will inspire people to engage with sport by getting online for the first time. Compared with the 2008 Beijing Olympics where just 1 percent of coverage was online – in 2012, every sport, from every venue, every day, will be available online.”
Go on - give your hour to a friend, neighbour or member of your family to share the summer of sport online. To find out how go to: bbc.co.uk/giveanhour
For more information about local beginners' computer courses ring the freephone advice line 08000 150 950. Lines are open 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week.
Notes to Editors
Give an Hour is part of the BBC's ongoing commitment to Media Literacy.
Please feel free to use other sporting events as a moment in time to support Give An Hour: Summer of Sport. Find other events that www.bbc.co.uk/sport
BBC Learning plays a central part in meeting the BBC's purpose of promoting education and learning. Utilising the power of the BBC’s big brands and key talent the department puts learning at the heart of the BBC and provides a variety of resources and learning opportunities for children, teachers, parents and adult learners. Working with partners and in local communities, BBC Learning aims to stimulate interests and encourage engagement through a variety of campaigns across all BBC genres and platforms.
BBC is a founder member of Go ON UK, a new cross-sector partnership organisation which aims to bring the benefits of the internet to every individual and every organisation in every community across the UK.
BDUK is a unit within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
KW
