Digital Villages Head North (again)
It was a Digital Village that brought me to Teesside back in 2000. A small research unit at Teesside University was working with Trimdon Digital Village and brought me to Teesside to manage Tees Valley Communities Online. Trimdon Digital Village took part in an infamous online pub quiz between The Black Bull in Trimdon and Timms Coffee House in Skinningrove. [ click here ]. Skinningrove won and took the title “Skinningrove Digital Village” Later the concept was emulated again in County Durham with Hunwick Digital Village and then headed South again in several guises.
Now the concept is once again heading North to County Durham. Bearpark, Bowburn, Brandon, Cassop, Esh Winning, Kelloe, Ludworth, New Brancepeth, Quarington Hill, Sherburn Hill, Ushaw Moor & West Rainton are together a Community Network in County Durham. There are more details at this new website www.12villages.co.uk. The purpose of the site and the enterprises that will evolve from it is to add digital, community media, social media activities to physical activities of the network. The villages concerned are considered to be the most deprived in County Durham. The ultimate aim is to create a ”Village Hub” that is effectively a “Digital Village Network”
The intention is to use technology to provide services and development for a group of very rural villages and settlements where physically networking is very difficult. The work will begin with the 5 Westerly villages and will eventually roll out to all 12. The 5 Westerly villages are Bearpark, Brandon, Esh Winning, New Brancepeth and Ushaw Moor.