Our Home Computing Hero of 2011

A little over three months ago we began a campaign to bring some recognition to the unsung heroes of technology - the many people who give their time and share their experience to help other people get to grips with computers and the internet.

After reading and sifting through your entries we can now announce the winner of our first Home Computing Hero award: Liam Holding of Merseyside. Many congratulations from everyone here at Computeractive, and from our award sponsor, Strato.

Choosing a single winner from the shortlist was a difficult task. Even cutting down the entries to a shortlist of 14 proved tricky and we would like to thank all those of you who took the time to submit a nomination.

We are going to explain how Liam came to be selected as our winner for 2011, but we also wanted to include some highlights from the shortlist. What was particularly clear from the nominations was how greatly appreciated all our nominees’ efforts were.

The award may be over for this year but our commitment to providing simple, clear advice in Plain English is unending. The guides we compiled to some of the basics of home computing can still be used, and we’re still keen to hear about the local computer clubs that you have learned from or contribute your expertise to.

Our winner: Liam Holding
Liam Holding has been volunteering his time for St John Ambulance in Merseyside for many years, and as a senior officer he now manages a team of 25 volunteers who provide essential medical support services at a range of events.

Going way beyond the expectations of the organisation, Liam has added the computing knowledge he has acquired over the years to his list of voluntary tasks, building the Merseyside County St John Ambulance website and providing technical support both to colleagues and for the vital behind-the-scenes technology systems the charity requires to carry out its work.

Liam was nominated by St John Ambulance commissioner of operations, Simon Galley. “Liam is the member that we turn to for help, advice and support - and he does this without complaint to a superb standard. He has created a quality website for us, which is head and shoulders above the rest of the country in terms of design and user friendliness and it suits our needs perfectly.

"This mammoth task has taken Liam hundreds of volunteer hours to create and manage, and he has done this in addition to his usual St John responsibilities,” said Simon.

“Liam is truly an IT hero in our eyes and we quite simply would not have been able to cope without him.”

Special mentions:

Dave Carter
Known locally as the ‘computer doctor’, Dave has been offering help to the residents of the Willowbrook Park estate in Worthing for many years. “In the past six years I have been to more than 50 homes. Calls for help include advice on buying a new computer or peripherals, setting up broadband connections and email programs, installing programs and anti-virus, using Skype and adding more memory to old PCs.”

Elizabeth Holjund
After advising family and friends or many years, Elizabeth has now signed up as a volunteer at her local library, where she teaches those who are completely new to computers. Elizabeth has also been helping charities to collect unwanted kit that will be greatly appreciated by people who might not otherwise have the chance to own a computer. “I reinstall Windows (using a properly validated copy), install all necessary software and offer a free service if problems arise,” says Elizabeth.

Tony Rix
Tony Rix set up a computer and camera club 11 years ago to provide help and advice to fellow residents of East Dean and Friston in East Sussex, many of whom are novices, often with second-hand equipment inherited from their children. Having set up the community’s website, Tony is now trying to persuade Sussex Downs College to try and bring its courses into residents’ own homes using conferencing software.

Tom Armour
Patricia Browne first met Tom while shopping for a PC - the start of an educational friendship. “When he discovered we were not 100 per cent confident in getting it set up he offered to help, which proved extremely valuable. He has only to be told of a friend or a friend of a friend with a computer problem and he’s on his way to their rescue. Tom is a truly inspirational man, constantly reading and researching to keep his skills up to date. His only reward is the satisfaction he gets from sharing his talents.”

Mike Hallam
Mike provided voluntary computer tuition for eight years when his local Age Concern branch was providing ‘Computer Taster Sessions’. When Age Concern stopped offering the sessions, Mike took the initiative and started offering sessions as a volunteer tutor at the local library. Many people have appreciated the patience with which Mike explains computing. “That comes in part from having taught myself to use a computer from scratch and knowing that lonely feeling of getting stuck and not knowing what to do. My great reward always comes from seeing someone’s eyes light up with relief and joy as I help them reach a new level of understanding.”