‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’
The Gillingham Football Club Community Trust are supporting the global Safer Internet Day campaign on Tuesday 7 February 2017 to promote the safe and responsible use of technology.
Celebrated globally and coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the campaign sees hundreds of organisations and schools join together to raise awareness of online safety issues. The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology, and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community.
As part of supporting the campaign, the Gillingham FC Community Trust will be part of a nationwide day of action involving #SID2017 on social media. We’ll also be sharing information and resources with our Youth Academy teams, to help spread awareness of the important messages of the campaign.
For our young aspiring players, the key message is around how they present themselves online, and the potential consequences – positive and negative – of their online profiles. The campaign calls on young people to ‘be the change’ and to share, and to help others share, images positively to make the internet a better place.
Gills Club Captain Josh Wright is also keen to show his support for the day. With over 87,000 online followers himself, he knows the importance of being careful online. Speaking about the campaign, he said; “It’s really important to be safe and responsible online, especially with the way you present yourself on public profiles. It’s a great message to share with young people, which is why I’m pleased to be involved in raising awareness this Safer Internet Day.”
As well as getting people to consider their online reputations, Safer Internet Day also aims to inform and educate children, young people and parents on other important issues including cyberbulling, content regulation and online safety.
Will Gardner, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre and CEO of Childnet, said:
“Safer Internet Day is an opportunity for everyone across the UK and globally to unite for a better internet. Whether you are a young person, parent, carer, school or organisation, we can all ‘be the change’ and take positive actions to make the internet a better place.”
Find out more about Safer Internet Day via their website, www.saferinternetday.org.uk, where you can see what’s happening on the day, and find out more about how you can help your friends and family to stay safe online. You can also join the campaign on Twitter by using the hashtag #SID2017.