PR 1384

OVER 450 ENTRANTS SET THEIR SITES ON HANTSWEB AWARDS

Hampshire County Council has received over 450 entries for its third annual Hantsweb Awards, which recognises and rewards excellent web services throughout Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

A panel of expert judges are now whittling down the nominations to a shortlist of sites, representatives of which will be invited to the Hantsweb awards ceremony at INTECH, Winchester's interactive science and technology centre, on 9 November. The ceremony will be presided over by Mrs Mary Fagan, Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire.

All nominations are now listed on the Hantsweb Awards website, www.hants.gov.uk/hantswebawards, and shortlisted nominees will be notified by 8 October.

Each winner of one the 11 categories will receive a Hantsweb Awards 2004 trophy, and prizes include a Think Pad laptop from sponsors IBM, software from Microsoft Ltd, and a top of the range Dell PC from Hampshire County Council's IT Services department.

Nominations were made by web users who have been impressed with the service and information they received from particular websites or public internet access points, as well as website designers and operators themselves.

Each category has its own specialist judge, or judges, who will be looking for the best Hampshire and Isle of Wight-based websites and public internet access points, especially those that offer information and services in an accessible and user-friendly way.

For the Best Public Internet Point category, sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), judges Malcolm Roberts, Olivia Newnham and Richard Strother are touring nominated locations. In particular they are looking for access points in rural areas, and organisations which offer support to help people over 60 to get the most out of the internet. Malcolm is IT development co-ordinator for Age Concern Hampshire, Olivia has travelled Australia, in doing so becoming very familiar with cyber cafes, and Richard is a volunteer for Abbeyfield UK in Southampton, which provides sheltered housing for the elderly.

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: "It is encouraging to see a consistently high number of entries each year, reflecting the growing commitment of local groups and businesses to use the latest technology to bring information and services to the public - and the prestige they attach to winning a Hantsweb Award.

"We would also like to thank our sponsors and judges for their commitment and support to the online communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight."

Other sponsors of the awards include First Start, SAP, Synstar and The Works Unit.

ENDS

For further information please contact: Lee Williams on 01962 847115

lee.williams@hants.gov.uk

23/08/2004