Captain Sir Tom Moore has beaten Joe Wicks and Marcus Rashford to be crowned the nation’s Digital Lockdown Hero in a celebration of the stars who have used tech to help families.
The World War Two veteran made global headlines after video footage of him walking 100 laps of his garden ahead of his 100th birthday went viral.
His daily walks ended up raising a staggering £32 million for NHS charities after 1.5 million people donated to his JustGiving page.
The centenarian, who has captured the hearts and mind of the nation, was rewarded with a knighthood in the Queen’s first official public engagement since lockdown.
He has now been named the UK’s Digital Lockdown Hero after parents were asked to choose from a 25-person shortlist of stars who had used technology, online platforms and social media to benefit families during lockdown.
The poll of 1,000 parents by BT Skills for Tomorrow saw Captain Tom pick up 38 per cent of the vote, followed by ‘the nation’s PE teacher’ Joe Wicks (35 per cent) for his record-breaking virtual workouts.
England footballer Marcus Rashford (29 per cent) came third for his use of social media to campaign for free school meal vouchers during the summer holidays.
Fourth place went to Ayesha Pakravan-Ovey (17 per cent) for her online campaign to help deliver free meals to vulnerable people during lockdown, while Carol Vorderman (14 per cent) completed the top five after delivering free online maths lessons for children.
Romesh Ranganathan, Rochelle and Marvin Humes, Andy Serkis, Nina Malone and Steve Backshall completed the top 10.
The study carried out by OnePoll for BT Skills for Tomorrow also revealed 79 per cent of parents admitted their family’s use of digital platforms has increased since lockdown began.
But 89 per cent said online technology has been a blessing for their family during lockdown.
BT Skills for Tomorrow is helping families to explore and enjoy the online world safely this summer, as they grapple with supporting their children.
From managing screen time to guides about online influencers, and games to keep kids entertained while learning, BT has created resources to help families make the most of life in the digital world this summer.
TV presenter and parent, Angellica Bell, said: “Living in lockdown has been something we’ve all had to adjust to, for different reasons, and as a parent with children home-schooling, I had to make sure I was across their online activity every second of the day.
“It’s so important that we are aware of how to protect children when they are online and limiting the amount of time they spend in front of a screen.
“Plus, there are ways of monitoring the sites they visit and influencers they are following.
“That’s why it’s great BT are offering an easy, free platform to help parents during the summer.”
Professor Kerensa Jennings, digital impact director at BT, added: “As lockdown has led to families relying on tech more than ever, it’s clear from our research that parents have a huge number of questions about their children’s online world.
“BT Skills for Tomorrow helps parents answer these questions so that families can better understand and navigate what their children are doing online and ensure that they can make the most of life in the digital world.”
TOP 10 DIGITAL LOCKDOWN HEROES
1. Captain Sir Tom Moore (38 per cent)
2. Joe Wicks (35 per cent)
3. Marcus Rashford (29 per cent)
4. Ayesha Pakravan-Ovey (17 per cent)
5. Carol Vorderman (14 per cent)
6. Romesh Ranganathan (13 per cent)
7. Rochelle & Marvin Humes (13 per cent)
8. Andy Serkis (11 per cent)
9. Nina Malone (10 per cent)
10. Steve Backshall (10 per cent)
More on BT Skills for Tomorrow can be found here: https://www.bt.com/skillsfortomorrow/families
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