Microsoft UK offers awards of £2,500 and donated software
Howard Lake | 16 February 2005 | News
Microsoft is once again inviting community groups across the UK to apply for a Microsoft Community Learning Award to help disadvantaged young people and adults gain access to IT training and skills.
Microsoft has again partnered with national charity Citizens Online to launch the second round of the awards scheme that will provide 30 awards of £2,500 and Microsoft donated software to UK based community groups in 2005.
Microsoft launched the awards scheme in June 2004, and it attracted over 450 applications from UK voluntary organisations. In that year 25 UK groups received a Microsoft Community Learning Award of £2,000.
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The Microsoft Community Learning Awards are aimed at organisations that are concerned with reaching people who are currently excluded from existing IT training and support schemes in their area.
The deadline for applications is 24 March 2005. Winners will be notified by the end of May and invited to the Microsoft Community Learning Awards ceremony in late June.
John Fisher from Citizens Online said: “The challenge of digital inclusion is to engage the last 18% of the population who feel that ICT and the Internet are not for them. Community based organisations know what needs to be done to engage this vital 18% but they require resources to help them do the work.”
The Awards scheme is part of Microsoft’s global giving initiative, Unlimited Potential, a commitment to help eliminate technology illiteracy supported by a long term investment in cash and software over the next five years.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.