On Monday 5 September 2011 six local organisations from across the UK received awards at the Palace of Westminster in recognition of their successful Spring Online events in May which helped hundreds of older people learn about computers and the internet.

The six winning organisations were:

Age UK Oxfordshire – Joint Winner

Housing 21, Bristol -  Joint Winner

Home Group, Newcastle upon Tyne - Runner Up

Andover Neighbourcare Internet Café - Highly Commended

Louth & District Seniors’ Forum - Highly Commended

Legal & General Cardiff / Age Concern Cardiff – Special Commendation for Employer Contribution

The awards were presented by the Right Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions and Emma Solomon, Managing Director of Digital Unite.

Digital Unite’s national Spring Online with Silver Surfers’ Day campaign takes place each year. This year, between 16-20 May, around 2,500 free digital taster events were held by local organisations across the UK, helping thousands of older people to learn about using computers and the internet. From Pontypridd to Belfast, Aberdeen to Truro, venues included schools, colleges, libraries, UK online centres, cafes, community centres, communal lounges, offices and even pubs.

The winning event holders for 2011 were chosen by a panel of external judges based on their originality, enthusiasm and the scope, reach and impact of their event.

Iain Duncan Smith MP said: “Most of us take computers and the internet for granted but for many older people and other less confident users, getting online is a daunting prospect. They feel isolated and disengaged and we need to do more. The winners’ participation in this year’s Spring Online campaign played a pivotal role in helping to bridge the digital divide and made a real and positive difference to their local communities. I congratulate them on their award success”.

Emma Solomon said: “The involvement in Spring Online 2011 of our winning event holders truly captured the essence of what our campaign is all about; community owned events that brought together local people of all ages and from all walks of life to share one common goal of learning about modern technology. These awards are richly deserved and, with the level of event holder participation right across the board being exceptionally high this year, very special too.”

The event also celebrated ten successful years of Silver Surfers’ Day, which since its inception in 2002, has helped around 150,000 older people engage with computers and the internet through activities such as Wii parties, Hawaiian days and Skype sessions.