Surrey County Council has pledged to help 10,000 residents get online for the first time by the end of 2012 as part of a national project to promote the benefits of the internet.

Surrey is one of the first local authorities to sign up to Race Online 2012 and is understood to be the only one to have set a target number.

The council will be offering opportunities to take a first step online by supporting Get Online Week, Silver Surfers' Day and other landmark events and also pledged to work with its strategic partners to remove barriers to the provision of high speed broadband for all households in Surrey.

Elsie Sowndin, 71, from Caterham, who cares for her husband John, an Alzheimer's sufferer, benefited from a scheme offered by Surrey County Council to help carers use the internet in their homes. She was given a computer and advice on how to get the most from the internet.

From knowing virtually nothing about computers, she now uses the technology to help and improve her husband's care, participate in focus groups and download minutes from meetings she is unable to attend.

She said: "It was an unexpected bonus when Surrey County Council allowed me to keep the computer. Now I use the internet every day and it's vital in me being able to provide the best care for John."

Surrey County Council Leader Dr Andrew Povey said: “I believe Surrey is leading the way by becoming one of the first local authorities to sign up to Race Online. I want us to continually improve online access to services and provide more opportunities for residents to interact with us online.”

Martha Lane Fox, the UK’s Digital Inclusion Champion, said: "It's fantastic news that Surrey has become one of the first councils to pledge its commitment to this hugely important initiative and I would urge other public sector bodies to do the same."

Surrey's pledge also includes committing Surrey’s library service to fulfil its part in the UK nationwide Race Online 2012 Pledge for Public Libraries to bring 500,000 people online by 2012.