Key milestones

For the sixth year running, BT is awarded a Big Tick from Business in the Community (BiTC) for the BT Community Connections award scheme.

BT support helped telethons such as those run by Children In Need, Red Nose Day, and DEC appeals helped raise more than £100 million in 2009.

More than 11,800 BT people donate to charity via BT’s Give As You Earn Scheme. The company also receives a gold Payroll Giving Quality Mark.

BT people give more than 250,000 hours of volunteering time to local communities during 2008. This equates to more than 29 years of continuous volunteering.

BT launches Inspiring Young Minds, a £1.5 million three-year global development partnership with UNICEF which is bringing education, technology and communications skills to children from poorer backgrounds in South Africa (2007), Brazil (2008) and China (2009).

BT launches the Internet Rangers website.

A new initiative, the LifeLines project is launched by BT. LifeLines is a phone-based information service aimed at bringing the benefits of ICT to hard to reach communities in India.

BT begins partnership with Age Concern to help older people get online, learn about new technologies and use ICT to improve their quality of life.

The Seen + Heard awards are launched by BT

BT launches the online giving platform eDonate

The company’s EverybodyOnline Project, which helps communities and individuals in disadvantaged areas across the UK to engage with digital technology, is launched.

BT launches the Community Connections awards scheme in the UK

The BT Community Champions scheme is launched. The scheme recognises BT employees who volunteer in their local communities.

BT supports the launch of ChildLine, a free and confidential UK helpline for children and young adults.

BT provides support for the first BBC Children in Need telethon.