• Artizan International, based in Harrogate, has been announced as the fourth winner of the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award
  • The award recognises charities and community groups that have gone above and beyond during the Covid-19 pandemic
  • Hannah-Ingram Moore, the daughter of the late Sir Captain Tom Moore, visited Artizan International to present their award which includes tech prizes worth up to £5,000 and gigabit broadband at their base in Harrogate.

Artizan International, a community-based charity in Harrogate, has been announced as the fourth winner of the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award.

The Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Connector Award, inspired by the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, aims to recognise local groups and community initiatives with an injection of tech and connectivity to help them do even more great work.

Hannah Ingram-Moore, the daughter of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, visited Artizan International to present them with the award and to discover some of the work that they do in the local community.

Artizan International was founded in 2013 by Susie Hartand and aims to enable, empower, and support people with disabilities in the UK and the developing world through creative, therapeutic activities, crafts training, and social enterprise.

The organisation runs free weekly therapeutic crafts sessions for adults with disabilities in the community in Harrogate and Leeds, where they also offer after school clubs for disabled children with and long-term inpatients from Harrogate and Ripon hospitals.

Like most charities in the UK, many can do even more with funding as well as improved digital means such as fast broadband and tech to aid their efforts.

As part of winning the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Connector Award, Artizan International has been given gigabit broadband and a tech bundle worth up to £5,000 with items such as a smart TV, tablets, laptops and much more.

The charities base in Harrogate has been connected to Virgin Media’s Gig1 service, which provides broadband speeds 22 times faster the UK average.

Suzie Hart, MBE, Director of Artizan International, said: 

“We’re over the moon Artizan International is the fourth winner of the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award. Our Artizan Café & Creative Space helps young adults with learning difficulties get hands-on training support, and the technology that the award has given us will work wonders in allowing us to help these young people secure a better future for themselves”.

Hannah Ingram-Moore, Director at the Captain Tom Foundation said:

“It is an honour to be announcing the fourth winner of the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award. Artizan International is so deserving of this award due to their commitment to their community and ongoing work to keep those in their community connected. We can’t wait to see what this vital injection of gigabit broadband and tech prizes can do for future projects.” 

Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2, said:

 “The Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Connector Award is all about recognising the local heroes and charities in the UK that have helped their communities during this difficult time.

“Artizan International is an incredible charity and worthy recipient as the fourth winner of the award. Our gigabit broadband service as well as a host of tech prizes will help them do even more amazing things in their community.” 

Over the coming months, Virgin Media and the Captain Tom Foundation will be selecting the final winner of the award.

Journalists can contact the Virgin Media O2 press office on:
press@virginmediao2.co.uk 01753 565656
Virgin Media
press enquiries
press@virginmedia.co.uk
O2
press enquiries
pressoffice@o2.com