NT100 plays a valuable role each year in inspiring those with the influence and resources to accelerate the adoption of tech for social good. It brings together entrepreneurs, innovators, NGOs, charities, technologists and others to share knowledge, experiences and skills to introduce social change on a global scale. Projects featured in the NT100 have wide-ranging purposes, from those determined to democratise access to quality education and healthcare, to those connecting minority communities and evoking empathy.
Following a global call for nominations earlier this year, Good Things Foundation (formerly known as Tinder Foundation) and it’s work on Widening Digital Participation in Health were selected by a judging panel of tech and charity experts in recognition of its work. The three year programme run by Good Things on behalf of NHS England saw local online centres partner with health practitioners to train more than 220,000 people to use online health tools, manage medical conditions and make healthy choices.
Centres targeted the most vulnerable patients - the heaviest users of NHS services and those most likely to be amongst Britain’s 12.6 million digitally excluded. 82% of those reached met one or more indicator of social exclusion - including poverty, long term health problems, lack of education or long term unemployment. As a result, more than half said they would now look for health information online first - or use NHS 111 or a pharmacy - before contacting a Doctor or going to A&E. That could potentially save the NHS more than £6 million a year - as patients became more proactive about their health and less demanding of frontline services. More information on the programme can be found here.
Helen Milner, Chief Executive at Good Things Foundation said: “The Widening Digital Participation programme has clearly shown that digital has the power to affect people's lives at scale. The programme has helped people to move non-urgent medical queries from face-to-face and emergency channels to online ones, saving the NHS money, and supported the wider well being of the patients involved - helping to address complex issues behind social exclusion and poor mental health.
“I’m delighted that work has been recognised by Nominet Trust, and incredibly proud to be amongst the amazing organisations and projects on the 2016 NT100 list.”
Vicki Hearn, Director of Nominet Trust said: “In this, the fourth year of the NT100, it is truly humbling to see so many remarkable people from all walks of life embracing digital technology as a force for social good. We hope Good Things Foundation’s well-deserved inclusion in the 2016 NT100 provides a valuable stepping-stone for their inspiring example of tech for good.
“With a bright idea, the right tech tools and a powerful desire to change the status quo, everyone has the potential to make a stand against the world’s most pressing social challenges. The NT100 seeks to champion the pioneers doing just that, in the hope that it inspires others to follow in their footsteps.”
As part of the 2016 NT100, Good Things Foundation is standing shoulder to shoulder with other innovative ventures such as EVA Park - a virtual environment to help those with aphasia recover communication skills; Hand Talk – a Brazilian virtual interpreter that translates between spoken languages and sign language; Disrupt Disability – which has created the world’s first open source wheelchair designs; BraveMind – a virtual reality therapeutic game that supports those recovering from PTSD; and Mine Kafon Drone – an airborne drone for detecting and removing unexploded landmines in communities trying to rebuild after conflict.
The 2016 NT100 was selected from 700 projects discovered this year through a combination of research and public nomination. Shortlisted projects were reviewed by Nominet Trust and a panel of partner organisations including: Big Lottery Fund, Cancer Research UK, Comic Relief, Nominet, Oxfam, Telefonica O2 and Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.
The 2016 NT100 projects are hosted on the Social Tech Guide, the world’s largest interactive database of tech for good, which now showcases almost 1700 ventures.