| Thales makes a world of difference for Childnet International 20 April 2004 |
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As part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Thales has supported Childnet’s work for three years, helping the organisation grow from a team of three people to 10 full time staff. In that time the charity has continued to develop a number of award-winning Internet education and safety awareness training resources; such as its “Kidsmart” schools programme and the “net-detectives” online role play activity. The charity has also been able to contribute to important policy and protection initiatives, not just here in the UK as part of the Government’s Home Office Task Force on Child protection, but also in other parts of the world including Malta, Mauritius and Japan.
Speaking today at the cheque presentation, Stephen Carrick-Davies, Childnet’s CEO said,
“The very generous support which Childnet has received over the last three years from Thales has made a world of difference to us. As a small charity it is very difficult to raise funding for our work, but through the partnership we have developed with Thales, we have been able to strengthen our operations, recruit staff and publicise our work. It’s very significant that a company like Thales, which is constantly expanding the boundaries of technology, should be committed to ensuring that children benefit from the Internet.”
Earlier in the year, Childnet distributed its “Kidsmart” Internet safety leaflets for children and parents to over 20,000 Thales employees. Later in the year Childnet will follow this up with a parents’ seminar road show to Thales centres and local schools. The Kidsmart programme is built around five simple ‘SMART’ safety tips which parents can teach their children as they use the Internet. <see notes to editor below>. Already over 1 million of these leaflets have been distributed in the UK and recently the parents leaflet has been translated into Punjabi and Hindi. Through funding from the Department for Education and Skills these Kidsmart leaflets can be sent to schools free.
John Hughes, Thales Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (Civil Business) said,
“The thirst for knowledge starts at an early age and the internet is a good source. We need to encourage our children to find out about the world around them while being secure in the knowledge that they are safe. Childnet International positively impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of children. We are proud to be a part of their work and benefit the community by supporting the continued efforts of this worthy organisation."
For related news articles see:
www.thisislocallondon.co.uk
www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk
Contact Details
Childnet: Stephen Carrick-Davies, CEO. Telephone: 020 7639 6967 e-mail stephen@childnet-int.org.
About Childnet: Childnet International is a registered charity, set up in 1995 - with the mission to work in partnership with others around the world to help make the Internet a great and safe place for children. The vision of the organisation is to ensure that all those involved in developing, producing, controlling, using and regulating international telecommunications (current and future), recognise and implement policies and programmes which prioritise the rights of children so that their interests are both promoted and protected. For more information about Childnet International, go to www.childnet-int.org.