John Soutar, 15 years old from Lionel, Isle of Lewis, has been selected as the national winner in the 2008 BT Internet Ranger of the Year Awards. The awards are a nationwide hunt to find and reward young people who are playing a crucial role in helping older generations get online.
The BT Internet Ranger Awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate stories of outstanding young people who are sharing their internet skills with others. It forms part of the BT Internet Ranger campaign, set up following research which highlighted that nearly a third of parents and grandparents, 32 per cent, have been taught or encouraged to try the internet by a young person aged between 13 to 16 years. John was presented with his prize of a laptop plus £250 in IT vouchers from Angus McNeil MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar at a special event held today at the BT Tower in London. John, who attends Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, was recognised for helping his mum, Elspeth, start a new life on Hebridean Island after she became a single parent. With a solid understanding of the internet and a natural knack for web design, John designed and built a website for the family business - two self-catering cottages for holiday-makers on the island - from which the entire family income had to be earned. John spent hours teaching Elspeth how to manage the website as well as how to research, advertise and take bookings using the internet. With patience and a level-headed approach, John provided Elspeth with regular refresher courses as the business became more successful and consequently, more complicated. John’s internet-tutoring skills and talent for web design were quickly picked up by the local community, where he has offered his expertise to help teach both adults and children about the internet at an innovative local IT project, for which he has also spent hours building their website.

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7 October 2008
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