We are looking for IT Volunteers in the tech4good world who have been on a mission…

A mission to take technology to those who need it most. These volunteers can see the huge difference computers and digital tech make to different communities. Then they go out there and make it happen.

The IT Volunteer of the Year Award is our way of saying a great big thank you for all the hard work. It’s also another away, for the other people and organisations they work with, to let them know just how special they are and how much their dedication is appreciated.

These are the people who go above and beyond; those who spend their own precious time making the world better for others.

Here are just a few of these incredible people…

Creating music with spaghetti hoops

A professional musician and teacher by day and incredible IT volunteer in her spare time, Rachel Moat has been helping children with severe communication and learning difficulties make music.

She’s invented special bowls that create music when different ingredients are added,  like spaghetti hoops.

She has done this using easily accessible and affordable technology. Rachael has spent hours tweaking and refining the proto-types. Hours well spent. It has been a hit with the children at the Seashell Trust where she volunteers once a week.

Volunteering for over 40 years for RNIB

Heading up the RNIB National Tech squad in 2013, volunteer David Bennoson is helping people with visual impairments use everyday technology.

He was instrumental in setting up the free nationwide service and dedicates hours to helping people use technology others take for granted, like mobile phones, televisions and computers.

He started volunteering for the RNIB in 1971 and also manages a team of 20 volunteers in Gloucestershire, where he pairs up tech volunteers with those in need.

Computer academic dedicated to supporting disabled people

Computer academic Alison Crerer, single-handedly set up an IT project using her knowledge and skills to help disabled people in Scotland.

Her scheme, called IT Can Help in Scotland, ran from 1999 to 2013. She studied how humans interact with computers and was especially interested in how this could benefit disabled people.

She recruited and managed six teams of volunteers. They visited people and gave advice about how they could use computers and assistive technologies to make their lives better.

After the project, Alison went on to be an expert witness in assistive technology for the Scottish Courts. There she advised the judges on the best equipment to support people with physical disabilities and learning difficulties.

Do you know an IT volunteer of the year?

For more information about the IT Volunteer of the Year Award, check our website. Entries close on 8 May.