The first Technology4Good Awards attracted 250 nominations; each one a good news story showing how technology, altruism, hard work and skill combined to make life better for people who are digitally excluded, disabled or disadvantaged.

The finalists included:

• National Star College in Gloucestershire, which has opened up the world of digital photography by enabling a tetraplegic person to operate an SLR camera using switch controls and sharing their solution freely so that others can benefit.
• Taylors/Starting Point Community Learning Partnership. A commmunity-based cybercafé and learning centre that has grown out of a fish and chip shop, in the process helping to regenerate the local shopping centre.
• Vintage Radio, an online community radio station in Birkenhead, Merseyside, is run by older people for older people. It has given 60 volunteers aged over 50, many of whom have no previous online, IT, or radio experience, the chance to develop the station and use computers and the internet.
• Give as you Live enables charity supporters to raise funds every time they shop online.
• The vinspired apps from v, the National Young Volunteers Service. A free app to promote volunteering amongst young people.

All the details of the finalist, winners and best of show can be found at http://www.technology4goodawards.org.uk/finalists/. It is worth looking at the full list of finaiists as it is inspiring and provides opportunities to join the organisations, replicate the idea, use or reuse the technolgy solutions. The award ceremony was a fun event with Mariella Frostrup compering, funky awards made of spare parts from machines and computers, and voting for the best in show by vigourously waving glow sticks.

Thanks to AbilityNet and their partners for organising this year's awards and I look forward to even more good stories at T4G 2012.