A pioneering scheme designed by a former police officer to keep children safe online is in the running for a prestigious UK award.
The eCadets programme was launched by Henry Platten’s company, eTreble9, based in Hawarden, in Flintshire, on World Internet Safety Day earlier this year.
The scheme, now used in more than 120 schools across Wales and England, has been shortlisted for a Nominet Internet Award, viewed by the online industry as the Internet Oscars.
As a result, a group of eCadets have been invited to a reception at the House of Commons on July 9 to brief MPs about it.
Every school that signs up to the scheme aims to have up to eight pupils trained as eCadets who will advise fellow students how to stay safe when browsing the internet, using social media on smart phones and tablets or playing online games.
Ex-police sergeant Henry Platten was “delighted” the scheme had been short listed in the awards programme, run by Nominet, the company best known for running the UK internet infrastructure.
The eCadets scheme has been shortlisted in the category for Making the Internet a Safer Place.
A panel of experts, including Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton and Shadow Cyber Security Minister Chi Onwurah will select the winners, who will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday, July 3 at the London Film Museum, hosted by technology journalist Kate Russell.
Henry said: “I am delighted that just a few short months after launching eCadets that we have been recognised in such a way.
“These awards are seen as the Internet Oscars and it is a real achievement for all those schools who have joined the eCadet scheme.
“In addition, it’s a great opportunity to go Westminster to talk to MPs about online safety.
“We know at first-hand how children use the internet as part of their daily lives, at home and at school, and I hope that we can give the MPs a real insight into the potential dangers – and how children are dealing with them.”
Bosses at Nominet say this year’s short listed projects have been selected from the strongest ever set of entries since the awards scheme was launched eight years ago.
The awards celebrate the achievement and innovation of organisations or individuals doing great work online for the benefit of their business, the wider economy, local communities or the UK’s internet users in general.
The aim to showcase projects from the UK businesses, charities, individuals and public and private sector organisations which help to make the internet a more secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all.
Eleanor Bradley, Chief Operating Officer at Nominet, said: “Every year it seems the internet becomes even more a part of our everyday lives, so it’s a great pleasure to see that the UK remains a source for so many fresh, ground-breaking online ideas.
“The efforts made by the shortlisted organisations to help make the internet a safer, more enjoyable or more productive place should be celebrated.
“We’re proud to recognise those who’ve helped make the internet a better place for us all, and hope their achievements inspire further innovation in the UK in the years ahead.”
The eCadets scheme was designed by Henry after he quit his job with Cheshire Police to launch online security firm eTreble9. He and his wife Danielle patrol the virtual world from North Wales, helping businesses and individuals protect their assets online.
The eCadets programme was launched after the couple recognised youngsters also needed help in staying safe online.
The pupils also take the message home – making parents and other family members aware of the need for online safety, whether it’s ensuring passwords are secure or discussing the pitfalls of making friends in the virtual world.
The clued-up youngsters have produced a film about staying safe online, to help spread the message even further.
Henry said: “As well as keeping youngsters safe, the eCadet scheme has been designed help schools meet targets in relation to online safety, health and wellbeing, literacy and numeracy and personal development.
“We know that children can find it difficult to talk openly to parents or teachers about an issue like this but they are much more comfortable turning to their friends and peers for advice.
“We are there in the background to provide support and advice, providing a safety net should something come to light that needs adult intervention.
“Our approach is very much not to frighten them, not to scare them, just to show them how to use it safely to give them that confidence, to give them those skills to be digital citizens, and really to live their lives safely online so that they get the most from it.
“The eCadets are select groups of children who will help their classmates to stay safe when using these sites and playing online games.
“The eCadets are given access to a secure area of our eTreble9.com website where tasks are set for them to complete in connection with internet safety. “When they have successfully completed a task they are given a reward sticker to put in the eCadets passport they are issued with.
“They also compete in an eCadets league against their counterparts, not just in North Wales but the whole of the country as the scheme is rolled out nationally.”
For more information about eTreble9 visit www.etreble9.com
