Freshwinds IT

Tasha and Deb’s Cafe, based in The Fold, Kings Norton, has been transformed into a venue where people can get online - as well as functioning as a central point for the community to come together - thanks to the Community Outreach grant from UK online centres and Nominet Trust.

Adam Lloyd, Project Lead for Freshwinds IT says: “We identified the cafe as an integral part of the community, and realised it could be used to combat one of the main issues we see amongst residents of the area - a lack of confidence or skills in using computers and the internet, and therefore a barrier to accessing the services that so many people take for granted online.”

“The Community Outreach grant from Nominet Trust and UK online centres came at exactly the right time for us to get the cafe set up as a community internet venue. We were able to get the cafe set up with all the technology we needed, and go out into the wider community and promote the benefits being online could provide to the residents of the area.”

And the cafe has already been a success. Adam continues: “The cafe has opened up a whole new world of information and services to those who use it, and being able to use computers and the internet has had a huge impact on the people we’ve helped. It’s a vital resource for the community, providing healthy meal options, acting as a space where people can socialise and most importantly, helping the residents to engage with their community.

About the Community Outreach Programme

Last summer we teamed up with UK Online Centres to provide new grant funding for local organisations working in the heart of communities to get more people online.The 'Community Outreach Fund' supported more than 150 innovative outreach projects, helping local community organisations to help people get online in places in the community that they feel comfortable. We have filmed a few of the projects so you can find out about some of the communities that have benefited from this programme.