The Cabinet Office has signed up 100,000 Big Society ‘Digital Champions’ to help millions of adults get online by the time the Olympics comes to Britain.

The champions are employees and users of services. They include 23,000 volunteers from Age UK, 21,000 from John Lewis, 10,000 from Beatbullying and 5,000 from Public libraries.

It is estimated that there are nine million adults in the UK who have never used the internet and nearly half of them are among our most disadvantaged people.

This mix of cross-sector partners aims to eliminate the three major barriers that prevent people from getting online, access, motivation and skills. The local digital champion network will give people advice, support and assistance on a local level and kick-start a low cost recycled marketplace.

The partner organisations will provide new low-cost recycled computer products for the first time, helping low-income families to get online.

More digital champions are required and to find out how to join the champion network click here.