Surrey based charity wins national Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award

• The Bee-lieve Foundation is the first winner of the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award
• The award recognises charities and community groups that have provided vital services in their local area in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
• Hannah-Ingram Moore, daughter of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, visited the Bee-lieve Foundation to present them with their award which includes tech prizes worth £5,000 including Virgin Media’s gigabit broadband service

The Bee-lieve Foundation, a community-based charity in Surrey, has been announced as the first winner of the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, charities and community groups across the UK have provided vital services to local people when they have needed it most.

The Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Connector Award, inspired by the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, aims to recognise such groups that, with an injection of tech and connectivity, including Virgin Media’s gigabit broadband, would help them to do even more.

Hannah Ingram-Moore, daughter of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, visited the Bee-lieve Foundation to present them with their award and to learn more about the work that they do in their local community.

The Foundation, which was created at the beginning of the pandemic by Steve Tindall, Headteacher at the Holy Family Catholic Primary School where the charity is based, predominately provides support for children with their mental health and emotional well-being.

According to Bee-lieve, 20% of all young people will suffer from depression before they are 18 years old and it is estimated that 75% of young people who experience such issues aren’t receiving treatment.

The charity provides resources for schools and families to use with young people, as well as running training sessions and workshops which empower parents and teachers to have positive conversations about mental health with young people.

Bee-lieve has also provided funding for several schools to implement its ‘Connect’ well-being programme as well as providing much-needed resources to schools across the South-East through their ‘Bee-lieve bags’ – specially designed care packages which support children and young people with their mental health.

As part of winning the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award, their base at the Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Addlestone has been connected to Virgin Media’s Gig1 service, which provides broadband speeds 24 times faster the local average.

Virgin Media O2 recently activated its gigabit network in Addlestone and will connect its entire network of 15.5 million homes to these next-generation speeds by the end of the year.

The prize also included a tech bundle worth £5,000 with items such as smart TV’s, tablets and laptops, as well as a commemorative plaque to acknowledge their achievement.

Steve Tindall, Founder & Trustee of Bee-lieve Foundation, said:

“It is amazing that the Bee-lieve Foundation is the first winner of the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award. We are all so passionate about the work that we do to support young people so, to be honoured with this award from Virgin Media O2, and to be chosen by Hannah Ingram-Moore, is absolutely wonderful for us. We’ve done so much already but gigabit broadband and the tech that we’ve been awarded will help us do even more.”

Hannah Ingram-Moore, Captain Tom Foundation, said:

“It is an honour to be launching the Virgin Media O2 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Award and to recognise such incredible charities. The Bee-lieve Foundation is a worthy winner and has performed wonders in their community at a time when they needed it most. 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.

“We know that they can all do with a helping hand and we’re honoured to recognise the efforts of the Bee-lieve Foundation and to give them our gigabit broadband service as well as a host of tech prizes that we know will go a long way in helping them do even more amazing things in their community.”

Over the coming months, Virgin Media O2 and the Captain Tom Foundation will be selecting more winners of the award in areas across the UK.

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