One of the key aims of Swansea’s Rural Development Partnership is to support rural communities to become stronger and better connected, so that they can be more self-sufficient. The idea for the Hwb emerged from the experiences of the local Covid support volunteer group and the feedback from residents during the pandemic: we needed clear communication channels to connect the community better. What we wanted to do fitted well with Swansea RDP’s aims and we were delighted when our application for funding was successful. Ian Button, Chair of Rhossili Community Council said at the time:
We are a very small Community Council, with a small budget, yet we face similar challenges to other rural communities. This funding will provide a fantastic opportunity for us to use digital technologies to coordinate communication across the community area, helping to reduce isolation and providing a voice for our residents
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The creation of the Hwb as a digital resource to access and share information and provide a voice for all who want it, was an important part of our project. The Vocaleyes platform is also helping residents to take part in decisions made at local level. But the project is about more than ‘just’ the website. It’s about the community working together to create something of value for our community and for our visitors, connecting with each other and with our local businesses, local organisations and all those who play an important role in community life.
It’s also about supporting people to gain skills to use computers and the internet safely. We want people to feel confident in using the Hwb and in using computers to help with everyday activities, like ordering online, using email or Zoom. In January 2023 we started offering informal Computer Cafés as part of the IT for the Terrified support sessions, tailored to what people wanted help with. These are continuing along with drop-in sessions that follow directly after the monthly Wednesday Coffee Mornings. As part of this, we are offering free loans of laptops and internet-enabled smartphones or tablets for people to practise with them at home. This free loan is also made possible thanks to Pitton Chapel’s successful bid for SIM cards from Vodafone’s Connected. Communities scheme. Contact us for more information about these sessions or if you are interested in equipment loan.