Martley Web Mesh Set to Expand in 2008!
Martley Web Mesh Receives a Valuable Grant
Exciting news! We have just
heard that we have been awarded a leading-edge grant of £5,000 that
will enable expansion of the web mesh service to new areas that are out of
reach of the current set-up and also enable us to replace some of the older
equipment. Other similar projects are, as yet, still proposals, whereas Martley
Web Mesh has been a reality for several years.
What is Martley Web Mesh?
Martley Web Mesh (MWM) (a company limited by guarantee) supplies competitively-priced
Internet broadband and email services to the local community by distributing
a wireless signal from three link points to households in and around Martley.
It is run by a small handful of volunteers, many of whom give a considerable
amount of their time to installing equipment for new subscribers and researching
and testing new and improved solutions. Our directors are also responsible
for the Martley website (www.martley.org.uk). At present there are about 30
subscribers, with new additions every month. Subscribers say that one of the
main advantages is that, if there is a problem, John, Richard or Tom arrives,
with laptops and ladders, to sort if out – no India-based call centres
on premium rates! Once a good signal has been established, the service is
superior to that generally available over the existing telephone infrastructure
in our area. Yes, the exchanges might have been upgraded by BT, but what about
the lines from the exchange to each household?
Where has the grant come from?
The grant has been awarded by Community First (http://www.comfirst.org.uk/home
) under their Nexus scheme. The aim of Community First is to strengthen
the role, capacity and influence of voluntary organisations and community
groups in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It is an independent registered
charity with around 350 members and a client-base of many voluntary and community
organisations across the two counties, funded from many sources, including
DEFRA, the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.
The aim of Nexus is to improve access to services and facilities for rural
communities in the Rural Regeneration Zone, giving local groups an opportunity
to address their community’s needs whilst encouraging capacity-building
within the organisation itself. Nexus is funded by Advantage West Midlands
(http://www.advantagewm.co.uk/working-with-us/Regeneration-Zones/rural-regeneration-zone.aspx).
MWM Expansion Plans
To receive the web mesh service, a household must be in line-of-site to another
web mesh node. In a hilly area which also possesses some magnificent mature
trees, this can be tricky. The £5000 grant will enable our service to
expand to the centre of Martley and some outlying areas. It will also enable
upgrading of existing equipment to make the infrastructure more robust.
Because Nexus is able to fund £5000 per annum for different projects,
we are hopeful that successful completion of our declared aims will prove
invaluable for our application for further grants in the future, thus enabling
the area covered by the mesh to expand.
For
further information, contact Richard Jackman on
t: 01886 821237
m: 07791 277 763
e: richard@martley.org
Skype = berrowbeeman
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MSH Feb 2008