CCPAS Press Release

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20th January 2012

UK DIGITAL CHAMPION MARTHA LANE FOX BACKS CCPAS’S CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE INTERNET SAFETY IN CHURCHES

The UK’s Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of pioneering dotcom company Lastminute.com, has given her backing to CCPAS’s latest campaign to promote internet safety in churches. CCPAS (the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service) is one of the UK’s leading experts in advising and training Christian and secular organisations in safeguarding. 

CCPAS is one of a number of key stakeholders partnering CEOP and others in Safer Internet Day 2012, which takes place on 7 February. This year’s theme is Connecting Generations. It aims to encourage families to explore online technologies together, and CCPAS is inviting churches throughout the UK to get involved by hosting their own local parents (or grandparents) events. There, the generations will be able to share their expertise and learn from each other how best to stay safe on the web.  

UK Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox said: “It is still hard to believe there are still 8.4 million people in the UK who’ve never made a free Skype call, explored and expanded their interests or got a great deal online. Yet, it’s impossible to imagine life without the web for anyone who uses it regularly. Race Online 2012 is trying to encourage many more millions people to get online and at the same time it is vital we help people to be safe and responsible. That is why I am backing both Safer Internet Day and CCPAS’s very timely campaign to encourage churches and faith communities of every description to get involved.” 

Simon Bass, CEO of CCPAS said: “Every day we get calls to our helpline expressing concerns about the safeguarding threats posed by the Internet. We are therefore delighted to receive Martha’s backing for our campaign to encourage as many churchgoers as possible – from every generation – to get involved in Safer Internet Day 2012 in what will be a most stimulating, worthwhile and exciting event”.

 Media Enquiries:  

Iain Taylor

CCPAS

0845 120 4550 or 07979 914217

iain@ccpas.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

CCPAS is an independent Christian charity providing professional child protection advice and support across church denominations and organisations throughout the UK. 
CCPAS was established in 1977. It assists churches, organisations, social services and other child care agencies as well as individual children and families by: 

• helping churches and other organisations adopt safe practice in order to protect children from abuse – and youth workers from the possibility of false allegations
• advising on individual cases, giving ongoing help to leaders and others.
• training across the UK and providing “in-house” training and other resources
• acting as external consultants to denominational/organisational child protection advisors
• counselling individual adults or children about past or present abuse. 

For more information, please see www.ccpas.co.uk

About Race Online 2012

• For a full copy of the PwC report and a Manifesto for a Networked Nation please refer to: http://raceonline2012.org/manifesto
• As part of their promise to Race Online 2012 brand communications agency 23 Red created the Go ON badge – a visual and messaging device that makes it incredibly easy for organisations and companies to promote the benefits of the internet in communications. It also helps to unify all the valuable initiatives that are available to people who are taking their first steps online. Organisations can find our more at www.raceonline2012.org/go-on
• As the UK’s Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox chairs the Race Online 2012 campaign and sits on the Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Board. She is also non-executive director at Marks & Spencer, Channel 4 and MyDeco.com. In 1998, with Brent Hoberman, she founded lastminute.com, Europe’s largest travel and leisure website. In 2000 they floated the business and Martha remained on the board until its sale. In 2005 she co-founded Lucky Voice, a karaoke business with five venues and a growing online business. In 2007 she launched a grant-giving foundation, Antigone.

Key call to actions
Online messaging

• Help someone you know discover the wonders of the web.  Find out how and join the UK’s growing network of digital champions at www.go-on.co.uk/champions.

Offline messaging

• Not online? Ask someone you know to help, or pop along to a local, internet taster session. Freephone 0800 77 1234 to find one near you.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) is the UK’s national centre dedicated to protecting children from harm both online and offline.  CEOP – www.ceop.police.uk [The CEOP Centre is affiliated to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA)].