Local Internet - public,
private and community networks
Entries are sorted alphabetically within Country:
England
Barnsley-Net
Created by Barnsley City Challenge and involving local business, government,
education and community groups, aims to be a not-for-profit organisation
owned and controlled by the membership. Publishes and provides space for
other groups to publish community information. Will offer training, low
cost access and development meetings. Will assist in the provision of public
access points. Email: David
Miller (d.miller@sheffield.ac.uk)
Bedfordshire
On-line
Includes Bedfordshire local govt sites, business , tourist & community
info. Limited interaction, no public access sites, although Bedford Council
offers guestbook. Email: bol@dmcl.com
Birmingham
Assist
(Active System for Supplying
Information on Services via Telematics), a University of Birmingham research
project commissioned by the Economic Development Department of Birmingham
City Council. Comprehensive local community information with a search engine,
some interaction and plans for public access. Email: training@bcceddts.demon.co.uk
Virtual
Brighton and Hove
Private and local council partnership. Comprehensive local information with
search engine. Offers interactive chat and guestbook, free web space for
community groups. No public access points and limited training. Developing
community pages for groups. Email: Simon
Turner (ntd@pavilion.co.uk) See
also SCIP
South
Bristol Learning Network
DoE TEC Challenge initiated, now self-sustainable as a not-for-private-profit
company. Public funding received is for specific training projects. Provides
jargon-free training and services for all sectors of the community including
short introductory hands-on workshops for beginners
through to advanced web authoring courses, multimedia Roadshows and web
space for local community groups. Does not aim to deliver managed services
for the community but equips them with the tools to be able to do this themselves.
Doesn't offer public access points directly. Email: sbln@sbln.demon.co.uk
See Success
stories from Bristol.
Cambridge
On-line City
Started by the local MP, the project involves partnership between commercial,
public and voluntary sections of the community, and has been sponsored by
the local Cable company and Internet provider. It provides public access
points across the city (with trained staff to help) as well as a comprehensive
local information service. See also Cambridge
Councty Council. Email: James.Nightingale@it.camcnty.gov.uk
Chiltern
Freenet
Based on 01442 telephone code area around Hemel Hempstead, but covering
the counties of Hertfordshire, Bucks Beds and Oxfordshire. Funded by Internet
Research Laboratory and Eco International. A directory, rather than a publisher
of community information. Includes a bulletin borad and discussion forum
and free Web Sites to community groups, non-profit making organisations
and emergency services. Also providing training and aiming for public access
points. Email: Philip
Russell (prussell@netlab.co.uk)
Cheshire
County Council
A council run site with comprehensive
local information, No interaction but a little user involvement. Four public
access points. Email: cheshire@cheshire.gov.uk
Coventry
and Warwickshire Network
Comprehensive community information
with guest book. Email: coventry@ecosaurus.co.uk
See also spON-LINE,
the community website for Spon End and Lower Coundon. Email: sponend@geocities.com
Croydon
Online
Initiated by Croydon Library,
mainly business and tourism information about the area, with a searchable
database. Limited community information, no interaction or public access
points. Email: sales@tophat.compulink.co.uk
Dewsbury
and Batley
Created by Dewsbury & Batley Management Services, a subsidiary of Dewsbury
Further Education College. City Challenge and business information. No interaction,
public access points. Email: webweaver@dbms.co.uk
EMNet
(East Midlands)
Supported by the EU, this initiative is mainly a directory of links. Cross-sector
support for promoting the area for business benefit. No interaction. Email:
inquiry@emnet.co.uk
Grimethorpe
Electronic Village Hall Group
Set up by enthusiasts to create
a telecottage, now offers training, advice, services and 5 networked machines
to members. Offer advice to community groups and charities on the type of
equipment and software to meet their needs. Aiming to raise the necessary
funds to develop a community information network. Funded mainly by members
subscriptions etc. and small donations from local funders. Email: Steve
Bradshaw (GEVH@barnsley.demon.co.uk)
Hantsweb
(Hamphire Council Community Pages)
A local authority initiative giving a searchable directory of 250,000 pages
about the local community, services and community organisation. Includes
Cousin, a community database of over 18,000 organisation details and an
Email directory with around 15,000 addresses. Interaction includes an Events
noticeboard where local events can be advertised using an on line form.
Offers web space to local community organisations, including schools, Parish
councils and voluntary organisations. Email: David
Boyce (istcby@hants.gov.uk)
Hebden Bridge Web
(http://www.eclipse.co.uk/pens)
One of the first community websites, now has hundreds of pages. Mailto:
webmaster@penpens.demon.co.uk
Library
Online Information Service (LOIS)
Formerly the Golden Valley Information Project (Hereford), this rural
project provides local information via a 64K leaseline network of terminals,
with council council and TEC support, to all libraries and two district
council networks. All local\regional information is supplied as a high speed
intranet as well as on the Internet site.Training and free space is now
being provided to district councils and other organisations that provide
information to enable them to maintain and eventually develop their own
web pages. Little interaction. Email: David
Morris (dmorris@tacin.co.uk)
The
NEXUS Consortium (Hertford)
A local online directory for the East Herts Area. Future plans include the
opening of an Internet Style Cafe. Offers clubs and arts centres and any
other non profit organisation free pages. Email: Craig
MacKenzie (cmack@cableol.co.uk)
Kington
Connected Community
Private/Public partnership to provide technology services to all sectors
of the local community, including bulletin boards and web design. Some community
information and guest book. Email: kc3@admin.kc3ltd.co.uk
Kirklees-Net
Kirklees Interactive Telematics Partnership (KITP) initiated, provides searchable
local cross sector information. Inclusive co-ordination function and support
for funding. Email: ian.flint@geo2.poptel.org.uk
Lancashire
online
A full community information site, with search, featuring a Lancashire discussion
page for ex-pats. Email: Ian
Corban (iancorba@io.com)
Leicestershire
Charnwood
Blaby on the Net
Email Trevor
Locke (telework@foobar.co.uk)
Leeds
City Council
A council comprehensive community information site managed by Leeds Library
and Information Services. Contains Word Arena, an interactive area for writers,
email links to councillors, A-Z index of contents and a search engine. Public
access planned for 1997. Email: Peter
Kelly (peter.kelly@leeds.gov.uk)
Liverpool
Liverpool
City Council information site
with guest book.
The EU and private sector funded University of Liverpool site MerseyWorld
has more business and community information. Offers free web space, authoring,
mailing lists and training for local organisations and SMEs. Running an
'Internet Express' which visits libraries and sets up an 'Internet cafe'
with 20 terminals providing awareness and training to the local community.
Partners in this venture include Hewlett Packard, IBM, Telewest and the
5 Merseyside councils. Email: Bernard
Friery (bernie@connect.org.uk)
London
Brent
Council
A local government site with
very good searchable links pages and email feedback to over 1500 staff.
Considering an online public consultation process on budget & Council
Tax levels. Free public access to the Internet in one library. In future
will provide more, along with assistance to local voluntary sector groups
to get online themselves and to publish information on our Web site. Involved
with UK
Citizens Online Democracy and have
made a bid to the EU Telematics programme to promote electronic democracy
on a local level. Email: Dane
Wright (Dane.WRIGHT@brent.gov.uk)
Lewisham
Peoples Web
Supported by the EU, delivery and access to local information and services
(DALI) supplies community information and a means for the public to make
enquiries and comments on council services and make remote payments. Focus
on non-English speakers and minority groups. Provide free pages or space
for voluntary groups. Email: Steve
Pennant (steve.pennant@Lewisham.gov.uk)
Newham
Involving Newham
Council and NewTel,
the Newham initiative has cross-sector support for creating a local community
network in Newham. Funded by EU regional development fund, a web site, public
information kiosks and free internet accounts for community groups have
been provided. A peer-to-peer training programme is running. Email: Anna
Tan (newtel@geo2.poptel.org.uk)
Lowestoft
(http://www.futura-lowestoft.com/futura/lowcommp.htm)
This is a developing community page aiming to provide useful interactive
information by and for the people of Lowestoft in Suffolk. It is part of
the Futura Project, details of which can be found from the site. Email:
Tony Furlong Osbourne (furlong@netmatters.co.uk)
Manchester
Host (POPTEL)
Set up in partnership with Manchester
City Council and Manchester Metropolitan University with the aim of providing
accessible on-line communications and information services for the local
government, voluntary and small business sectors for local economic development.
Email: info@poptel.net
Hulme Community Computing
Vol. sector computing and IT initiative that has been running since 1982,
offering full Internet access at just above cost rates (incl. e-mail account
at UKP1 a month). Shortly to establish Web space open to voluntary organizations
to provide information content. Email: public@hulmecc.u-net.com
Manchester
Community Information Network
Funded by North Manchester Regeneration and the EU and with cross sector
support, MCIN is a full and searchable database of information for Manchester.
Includes interactive citizens advice, a survey and a feedback form. 12 Public
access points, including one in a supermarket. Utilises information sources
which exist already rather than duplicate. Email: Linda
Doyle (Linda@mcin.poptel.org.uk)
See also MCIN
article (local).
Manchester
Women's Electronic Village Hall
Offers women information, technology
and telecommunication resource centre, including telematics facilities,
such as e-mail, on-line databases and bulletin boards. Email: wevh@mcr1.poptel.org.uk
Network
2000 (Devon and Cornwall)
A cross-sector membership organisation committed to responding to new demands
created by the changing nature of work in society through training, upskilling
and 'lifelong learning' strategies. Uses satellite broadcasting and video
conferencing along with phone and face to face contact for rural training
programmes. Email: Christine
Fraser (christin@net2000.zynet.co.uk)
Virtual
Manchester
A comprehensive community information site supported by commercial activity
of XTML,
including links to all web pages relevant to the Manchester area at no charge
and hosting web sites for a variety of Manchester organisations. Includes
guestbooks, a selection of notice boards, business listings, entertainments
and other local information. Welcomes further contributions. Email: Nigel Stewart
(nigel@xtml.u-net.com)
Milton Keynes Community Network Development Association uses
First Class communication software to develop the local community within
the much larger domain of the Internet. It is a rapidly expanding cross
sector initiative, primarily a communication network aimed at all sectors
with a number of programmes currently under review for implementation including
information retrieval. Offers free hands on training, free help line, free
web space and is aiming to offer a number of public access points. Supported
by the Open University, Mercury, MK Chamber and North Bucks TEC, MK Borough
Council and its virtual twin, InterAct, the Network of the Clarke County
Public Education Foundation in Las Vegas Nevada USA. Email: Peter Davis
(p.g.davis@open.ac.uk)
Milton
Keynes Intranet is a searchable
business, social and personal information database that can be accessed
across the Internet. Includes on-line mechanisms for creating and updating
your information, posting seminars, open days and social events to an event
diary and adding job vacancies to a virtual 'job centre', all for a charge.
Email: info@tennet.co.uk
NewNet
(Newcastle)
A civic, commercial and community network for the city. Partnership project
VISION enables community access to the Internet. Establishing forums for
community groups and offers free support, Internet connection and software,
webspace and training package.
See also On
Tyne, the Newcastle City Council
led initiative Email: geoffw@geoffw.demon.co.uk
Information
Society in the North West of England
Rushmoor
Borough Council (Aldershot
and Farnborough)
Part of the developing Hampshire Community Network. One public access point,
a feedback form and an increasing amount of community information, including
'Playtime' pages covering all
range of leisure activities and 'Green Button' which encompasses Noise,
Air Quality, Minimising Waste, Energy Management and Local Agenda 21. Web
space applications are assessed on an individual 'benefit to the community'
basis. Email: Sue
Adams (sadams@rushmoor.gov.uk)
Saffire
(Saffron Walden)
A searchable community information service serving Saffron Walden and the
larger part of the Uttlesford District area, mainly rural. Has a real-time
threaded discussion forum which aims to allow discussion of topical local
issues and has been used by the District Council to gauge in some part local
feeling about some contentious topics. Receives no funding, although negotiations
with the District Council are under way. Email: steve@saffron.demon.co.uk
See also Prestel
and its successors (local)
Sheffield
Open Information Project
An information network for voluntary organisations in Sheffield, funded
by European Regional Development Fund with help from University of Sheffield
and Sheffield Hallam University. Some members have been helped to publish
web pages and there is an internal mailing list which may develop into bulletin
boards etc. Email: sheff.co-op@geo2.poptel.org.uk
See also Open
Information Project, Sheffield (local)
Solihull
Metropolitan Borough Council IT Point
Based in Chelmsley Wood Library this research project was originally
funded by The British Library's Research and Development Department (BLRDD).
Started out free but now charges to provide training and resources. Email:
Gulshan
Kayam (gkayam@itpoint.org.uk)
Surrey
Web
Cross sector partnership, a full and interactive site with searchable database.
Offers advice and free space for non-profit organisations. 22 public access
points available. Email: ian@surreycc.gov.uk
Sussex
Community Internet Project
Charity, running forums and
creating partnerships across the community. Runs low-cost training for community
groups and Internet club with on-line access to encourage community involvement
and coordination of community information.
Email: Peter
Mason (scip@pact.org.uk)
List
Ireland
Government
of Ireland
The School
of Communications, Dublin City University,
is researching how the voluntary sector is using information and communication
technologies. One purpose of the research project is to identify the best
ways of using these technologies for voluntary and community work.
Dublin
Community Network is trying
to develop internet use (mainly around the Web and email) among the community
sector in inner city Dublin with Dublin Inner City Partnership and creating
a forum for information exchange on line.
Northern
Ireland Government Home Page
Northern
Ireland's Community Communications Network
A project with cross sector support, CINNI provides an Internet service
for charities and voluntary sector community based organisations, including
support, training and Internet connection. Email: info.cinni@nics.gov.uk
North Antrim Community Network
A rural internet infrastructure.
Contact: Brian O' Neill brian@nacn.btinternet.com
List
Scotland
Craigmillar
Community Information Service
Scottish Office, Urban Aid Funded, Edinburgh City Council sponsored community
Internet service provider, encouraging groups to get on-line. At least 150
community groups are linked into the Craignet, including 48 secondary schools.
Provides a searchable data source for a wide range of local organisations
and free Internet email accounts, helplines, training, web pages and space.
Community groups can also access Craignet (a network of computers), the
Internet, OneNet BBS (this is the European super hub for a freenet of 3
million users world wide), local bulletin boards, and news groups for free.
Email: Andy
McDonald (Wordsmith@ccis.org.uk)
See also the sites maintained by The
Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University
and The
City of Edinburgh Council.
List
Wales
Cardiff
Capital Net
Founded by University of Wales, Cardiff County Council and South Glamorgan
TEC and with increased community support, this full public information site
has notice boards, a guest book and seven public access points. Email: rogerss2@cardiff.ac.uk
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Prepared by Communities Online
May 19, 1997
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