|
20.06.03
Brannel Room gets funding for community
cyberspace
If you're living in St Stephen, you'll soon be
able to surf the internet and gain new IT skills closer to
home.
A computer network and internet access is to be installed
in the The Brannel Room, in the centre of St Stephen, thanks
to almost £10,000 of investment gained from the Objective
One Rural Key Fund and Restormel Borough Council. The Parish
Council has worked closely with Restormel Regeneration Partnership's
Integrated Area Plan (IAP) team and Everybodyonline, a national
organisation which encourages people to access the internet,
to develop the project and gain this substantial funding.
Stevie Smyth, Clerk to the Parish Council explains: "The
Brannel Room is used for Parish meetings, educational purposes
such as the Learning Disabilities Centre, the Women's
Institute and other clubs. By installing just a network and
internet access, it minimises the costs for the project, as
IT course providers can use their own equipment when they
use the room, but when they go the space can easily be used
for other community activities, so maximising the flexibility
of the room."
Ann Tomkins, of Everybodyonline, adds: "We developed
the idea after using the room for a meeting and saw what a
great facility it is. We have combined our knowledge of encouraging
community IT training with the funding and project expertise
of Ed Thompson, who is the China Clay worker for the IAP team,
to achieve something that will be of real benefit to everyone
in the area."
Ed Thompson of the IAP team is clearly delighted: "This
is a very simple and effective project, which will bring a
huge amount of benefit to St Stephen, enabling those who may
been unable to consider travelling to gain IT skills, because
of issues with transport, child care and other barriers to
learning, to gain access to as much training as they feel
they need."
Editor's notes:
Everybodyonline
- a Citizens Online Project
Established in August 2002, the everybodyonline
project aims to:
|
Increase access to IT and the Internet in communities
where our research shows that both income and adoption rates
are among the lowest in the country. |
|
Increase access for groups within these communities,
identified nationally as excluded or marginalized, for example,
by reason of: |
| |
|
Age |
| |
|
Gender |
| |
|
Ethnic background |
| |
|
Disability |
| |
|
Previous educational opportunity |
| |
|
Employment status |
|
Enhance the quality and level of IT knowledge among
new and existing users. |
|
Enhance local understanding of the rights and responsibilities
of IT and Internet users. |
|
Deepen understanding by Citizens Online and its project
partners and stakeholders of the causes and effects of digital
exclusion, and how these may be addressed nationally. |
For further information see:
www.everybodyonline.ik.com
Restormel Regeneration
Partnership
Restormel Regeneration Partnership was established in 2000,
with the object of making Restormel '…a more prosperous
and lively area..' by making maximum use of the opportunities
for regeneration.
Integrated Area Plans (IAPs) are the way in which Objective
One can help communities. These are the plans that integrate
the economic, social and environmental aspects of the Objective
One programme into a framework for use in a specific area.
There are eleven plans throughout Cornwall, three of which
(St Austell Bay, China Clay Area, and Newquay & its Rural
Hinterland) are covered by Restormel.
The Objective One funded Integrated Area Plan team was established
in February 2001 to deliver the three IAPs for Restormel.
It can help with developing and supporting community based
projects who wish to apply for Objective One funding.
The RRP team is funded by Restormel Borough Council, Objective
One, the South West of England Regional Development Agency,
Imerys, Cornwall County Council and Health Action Zone
For further information please contact:
Ann Tomkin
Project Manager
Everybodyonline
Telephone: 01726 823515
Mobile: 07734 058789
Email: ann@citizensonline.org.uk
Katrina Waters
Administration Officer
Restormel Regeneration Partnership IAP Team
Tel: 01726 623735
Email: Katrina@rrp.org.uk
Jason Clark
Communications Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388
jason@dclark.co.uk
 back to top
|
