Rhossili Community Council, along with Rhossili Village Hall Trustees and the local Covid support volunteer group, is delighted to announce that we have been awarded significant funding of just over £9,000 to develop a digital community hwb.
The project is receiving funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government, and supported by Swansea Rural Development Partnership at Swansea Council.
The Rhossili Community Hwb will provide a one-stop shop for local information needs, with a single ‘landing page’ serving as a gateway to four linked online portals embracing the Community Council and Village Hall websites, a resource for health, well-being and environmental information needs and an interactive portal for community services and social events. The Hwb development will be underpinned by “IT for the terrified” support sessions for those who want to raise their digital skills.
Project Lead Isobel Everett said, “We want to harness all the amazing work that already goes on supporting the community so everyone can benefit. We are keen to bring the community together to develop the Hwb so that it is created by the community, for the community.”
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 across the community. Ian Button, Chair of Rhossili Community Council said:
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.
Ian Button, Chair Rhossili Community Council
Developing the Hwb will involve consulting with residents, local business and services through interactive forums and workshops, inviting volunteers to act as critical friends in providing feedback and in helping to provide relevant content for the Hwb. We anticipate that the Hwb itself will be launched before Christmas at a special social event. Further details will be provided over the coming weeks through our social media sites and temporary Hwb page, about its development and how local people can become involved.
We are grateful to Swansea Council’s Economic Development and External Funding Team for their guidance in submitting the application and to Rhossili Community Council and Village Hall Trustees in supporting the project.
Further information about the project is available by contacting Maggie Kirk at rhossilihwb.cymru@gmail.com.
