Taking IT to villagers

HEATHFIELD Partnership is hoping to get the community webwise by providing IT services in the town and surrounding villages.

Fully equipped mobile Internet stations named Pub Hubs (Public Heathfield Users Building Skills) will be provided.

Pub Hubs are mobile computers offering users of the Internet free access. Training, help and advice will be available to all sectors of the community.

The Pub Hubs will be provided in Heathfield, Waldron, Cross in Hand, Punnetts Town, Cade Street, Broad Oak, Horam, Rushlake Green, Dallington and Warbleton.

Graeme Hird, IT manager for CY Logistics at Golden Cross, is involved with the Pub Hub proposal because of his experience with computers and electronics. He said: 'The mobile units are ideally designed for easy mobility so they can be set up in pubs, halls, churches, and Post Offices, in fact any venue with a phone line and electricity point.'

'The Pub Hubs will also offer an extra service for these venues by attracting new customers, patrons or visitors. Disabled users who may need extra help will get it at the Heathfield Youth Centre.'

Training

He added: 'At present the only Internet access in Heathfield and the surrounding villages is the library, situated in the High Street and the computer is over subscribed with a waiting list of users.'

Training for those seeking IT Internet skills will be offered by the community college, or the HeathfieldOnLine centre, proposed at the current Youth Centre.

Graeme said: 'We are now ready to produce a prototype. Once we have a Pub Hub unit to demonstrate we will hold events to show what can be achieved via the Internet. It is the partnership's intention to make the Pub Hub available to Wealden District Council for district-wide events so other communities can take advantage of this unique service and link to each other.'

He added: 'This simple idea unites community and provides information in an instant, bringing the superhighway to the door of every Wealden town and village.'

The Pub Hubs will be linked to the town website, where users will be offered local help, services, information and advertising. This will promote the town website and encourage the community to think Internet first.

For more information contact Yvonne Hutchinson or Graeme Hird on 01875 873333.