Breadalbane's Inspiring Virtual Learning Project
In the Western reaches of the Breadalbane area, centred on Killin, an exciting community computing project is in progress. It has brought satellite Broadband to Tyndrum and opened up access to a wide variety of IT learning to a very dispersed rural population. It has shown that IT training can be delivered at a very low capital cost by adapting existing buildings and hence bringing extra income to village halls.
The project arose from the joint needs of the Glen Dochart Adult Education Group and the Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre Lifelong Learning Trust to develop access to computer skills in the Breadalbane area of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
The Glen Dochart Group needed to renew the ageing mobile laptop computers, used very successfully by local Clackmannan College tutors to deliver computing courses in village halls in the area. The Strathyre group was concerned about the proposed closure of the popular small IT Training Centre in its village run by Falkirk College. Thus, the Breadalbane Virtual Learning Centre (BVLC) Project was born.
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Funding Partners
Funding was sought to purchase 15 laptops, printers, a data projector, satellite links to Broadband in 3 villages, hall hire, administrative costs, support for tuition fees and the salary for a part time project co-ordinator. This has been jointly funded through Leader Plus, Awards for All, Direct Grants, Stirling Council, Carnegie UK with support for tutor costs and hall hire from Clackmannan College and Stirling Council.
The first year has proved a great success. An Internet café now runs 3 days per week in Tyndrum Village Hall. As well as providing access to learning, this café is right on the route of the West Highland Way, and proves very popular with walkers as a stopping point to catch up on emails and download digital photographs onto discs (a useful source of income!).
Service Welcomed
It provides a focal point for seasonal hotel staff, many of whom are from overseas, and again are able to keep in touch with friends and family on the Internet. It has helped to integrate staff into the local community where they have helped to re-decorate the Hall and arrange social evenings.
Taught classes have been run from very basic ‘Computing for the Terrified’ through to more complex courses. Several introductory courses on digital photography have been held and in the New Year there will training on SAGE accounting software and an introduction to web design, with more Internet cafés when Broadband finally arrives in Killin. Equipment has also been used in local primary schools and is available to hire to groups and individuals in the community - movie nights will be coming!
Support
None of this would have been possible without the energy and enthusiasm of the local management group and tutors. Special thanks to Julie Rhys, Gordon Gaughan, Donald Third and Heather Hamilton, course tutors, to Sue Wyllie and Effie Crompton from Strathfillan Community Development Trust and to Stirling Council’s most valuable asset in a rural community, Suzanne Player, the Rural Development Worker without whom most community projects would never see the light of day (and would certainly never find funding!).
Elaine Turner
Director, Breadalbane Lifelong Learning Trust
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