{"id":937,"date":"2022-06-15T10:47:03","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T09:47:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/digital-first\/?p=937"},"modified":"2022-06-16T12:40:26","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T11:40:26","slug":"connecting-a-villages-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/digital-first\/2022\/06\/15\/connecting-a-villages-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecting a village\u2019s heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

How gigabit capable broadband can ensure the future of our village halls<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Better<\/a>
Better connected – Wimborne St Giles village hall can now offer so much more after being connected to gigabit capable broadband<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For generations, village halls have been the beating heart of communities up and down the country \u00ad- they were the centres where friendships were made, and society came together.<\/p>\n

And even to this day, their important role in village life cannot be underestimated.<\/p>\n

But are their futures guaranteed as the world moves at such a fast pace as we all jump on board the technological highway? Do we still need them when we can hold virtual gatherings and play games with friends online?<\/p>\n

One way to secure village halls\u2019 future is to enable them to help their community be part of this exciting digital world by getting them connected to ultrafast broadband.<\/p>\n

Not only will this technology enable the halls to offer many more services, it will also mean much-needed broadband infrastructure is brought into rural areas for residents and businesses to tap into.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why, with the help of funding from Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Dorset Council and Wessex Internet is currently bringing gigabit-capable, full fibre broadband to village halls and community centres in the county.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s a clear need for why we are doing this.<\/p>\n

Without public subsidy, rural areas would be left behind in the digital revolution as bringing broadband to them is too expensive and not commercially attractive to suppliers.<\/p>\n

However, we can jump start digital life in a village by pumping fibre into its very heart\u2026<\/p>\n

Why Wimborne St Giles is now in jolly good company with the rest of the digital world<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the country went into lockdown all activity at Wimborne St Giles Village Hall came to a halt.<\/p>\n

The village hall had proven to be a lifeline for many people; especially for the members of its In Jolly Good Company group which provided companionship and social activities for many.<\/p>\n

But total isolation was not the end result of lockdown thanks to the now good broadband coverage in the village.<\/p>\n

In Jolly Good Company launched Jolly Good TV, making a series of films, which were uploaded on to YouTube and helped keep that connection with\"\"<\/a> members alive.<\/p>\n

When lockdown restrictions eased, the members could return to the village hall and watch the films together \u2013 an option that would have been impossible just a few years ago.<\/p>\n

In Jolly Good Company\u2019s Director and Wimborne St Giles resident, Sarah Rampton, said: \u201cOur village hall was connected about three years ago by Wessex Internet, using the government voucher scheme.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore then we had one BT cabinet serving the whole village and the further away you were from the cabinet, the more pitiful the broadband speeds were.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019ve all got a great connection and for the village hall it means we can do so much more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we hold our \u2018Jolly\u2019 days here now we can have film sessions, including watching our very own Jolly TV. We could not have done this without the broadband.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wimborne St Giles is part of the Shaftesbury Estate, which prides itself on providing a sense of community and togetherness.<\/p>\n

What lockdown has shown is that the online world can keep us together, even when we\u2019re physically apart.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>And the village hall committee realised that good broadband was not only a good way of connecting people, it also keeps people safe.<\/p>\n

The village hall is famed for its weekly charity teas that attract people far and wide.<\/p>\n

But there is little mobile phone coverage in the village, and this was a safety concern for the village hall committee.<\/p>\n

Committee chair, Lissie Ashton, said: \u201cOur teas are incredibly popular, often with people queuing right outside the gate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith no mobile phone coverage and no telephone line it was always a concern for us, with that many people, how could we contact someone in an emergency?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the option to get state funded full fibre broadband installed at our hall was offered it was a no brainer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now have excellent WiFi and can use our mobile phones, plus a telephone line is now run through the broadband.\u201d<\/p>\n

The village hall is now better placed to support its many uses \u2013 from hiring out the hall to musicians and choirs to hosting private parties.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just a very small village hall but it\u2019s already been of real benefit to us,\u201d Lissie added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe monthly internet cost is reasonable, especially as we did not have to fund the set-up costs. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a village pub so we\u2019re now looking to see if we can have some bar nights for the community and undoubtedly the broadband will make that more attractive for people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can only imagine the difference good broadband would make to larger village halls and the many different services they host for their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving good broadband and being digital is the future and as village halls we have to make sure we\u2019re not left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Wimborne St Giles fact file<\/strong><\/p>\n

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