|
Telecentres in the Telecentres Powys Network are autonomous, public access community resources and have emerged as a result of strategic consideration and vision and locally articulated demand. It is a truly organic partnership combining a network of committed volunteers, technology and strategic support resulting in locally defined and managed resources centres or Telecentres.
Developments in the application of IT and the establishment of a network infrastructure since the mid eighties were key elements in the ability of Powys to establish such a public network. In mid 1993, under the "Community Development Programme", Powys County Council in association with the then Development Board for Rural Wales and the Powys TEC set up a small number of 'telecottages' in different types of community settings.
| Castell y Dial Newtown | May 93 | |
| CEB (Telecottage) Boughrood | August 93 | |
| Llanwrtyd Wells Telecentre | August 93 | |
| Llwyn Lodge, Llanfyllin (now closed) | Sept 1993 | |
| Rhayader Telecottage | August 1994 | |
| Painscastle Buyer's Group, Rhosgoch | April 1994 |
At the same time pilot projects were being developed in schools in Presteigne, Machynlleth and Crickhowell.
Concurrently, funding was being sought from Europe under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to develop and sustain these public access facilities. January 1994 saw the start of a 3 year project aimed at reinforcing the ethos of public access to ICTs. Specifically it addressed the needs of individuals, communities and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the strategy of public access to information systems and ICTs was now rooted in communities. The early years were focused very much on awareness raising and addressing the social inclusion agenda and training local champions. Today, however, Telecentres are now very much part of the economic and social development of the County.
The importance of supporting local voluntary activity should be underlined at this point. Powys County Council does not manage any telecentres, it harnesses and focuses the locally articulated support for the ideology. In brief, the support of self-motivated voluntary effort is key to the success of the telecentre network. For this reason, huge efforts are put into the development and sustenance of these emergent community offices and embryonic businesses both technically and managerially. This support is built in to the project funding mechanisms this is being stretched to the limits in meeting the needs of all the communities that want to take part in these initiatives.
Back