Faster News
The rollout of ultrafast broadband in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire has passed the 34,000 homes and businesses mark, and plans have been expanded to reach more rural properties.
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Home Stories
In the second Pudleston community diary, Zoe, 33 years old mother of two, describes the difficulties she faces trying to study from home with poor broadband.
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The rollout of ultrafast broadband in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire has passed the 34,000 homes and businesses mark, and plans have been expanded to reach more rural properties.
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Hereford-based Yeleni Therapy and Support has benefitted from Fastershire ‘Keep Connected’ grant from Herefordshire Council. The grant aims to help community groups and not-for-profit organisations adjust to delivering services online during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
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Herefordshire based Social enterprise, Mission Me, benefits from Fastershire's ‘Keep Connected’ grant. Mission Me is a social enterprise providing educational tutoring and mentoring to young people who might be struggling with confidence or have experienced a disrupted academic life.
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Fastershire's ‘Keep Connected’ grant has helped Herefordshire based communtiy group, Unite The Beat, to launch a new radio station and continue to support people who benefit from their services.
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The grant has been created by the Herefordshire Council’s Fastershire Broadband Project, and is available to any not-for-profit groups or organisations, including charities, community groups and Parish/town councils.
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As many more of us now need to work or run a business from home at this difficult time, and we’re working to make sure you’ve got the broadband connection you need.
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With a slow internet connection you can have problems doing more than one thing at a time online. With faster broadband the whole family can be online doing homework, watching iPlayer, keeping in touch with friends on Skype or Facetime and doing the weekly shop all at the same time without any time delay or frozen screen.
Working from home can now be as fast and effective as working from the office. This could save you time and money, as well as helping you to achieve a better work life balance. With faster broadband you could even consider setting up your own business from home as you would have the world class connectivity that could give you the edge.
Store photos, documents, music and videos online in the cloud rather than on the computer at home. Your files will be kept safe and you can access them anywhere. Fast upstream speeds mean backing up files is done in the blink of an eye.
With faster broadband you can download the latest blockbuster before the kettle has boiled or watch your favourite TV show online instantly.
With faster broadband you can study online with flexible hours and video tutorials that work immediately.
New telecare services mean that people who are unwell, have a disability or older people can stay safe and independent at home.
Did you know that you can now access a whole host of council services and information online, such as reporting a pothole, paying your council tax, finding out when your rubbish or recycling will be collected and checking library opening times?
Visit: Do it online in Herefordshire Visit: Do it online in Gloucestershire
Pudleston is a scattered rural parish to the north east of Leominster approached down narrow lanes through farmland and woods with amazing views all around.
The village is made up of several hamlets, Whyle,
Golderfield, Brockmanton and of course Pudleston. Pudleston does appear in the Domesday Book of
1086 when it was called Pillesdune.
The village has no real centre but does have the beautiful church of St Peter which dates back, in part, to the 12th century. The post office and shop closed in 1977, the school in 1982 and there has been no bus service since 1983. The nearest shops and pubs are five miles away!
There are approximately 150 residences in the village and several people work from home. There is a mix of housing, which is in line with the National statistics, of owned properties and social housing. Pudleston has an international business which supplies entomological equipment; several consultants work from home and craftsmen too. The main occupation, as you would expect is farming of all kinds. The mean age is slightly above the national average at 43 years. There is a thriving sense of the community established through the work of the Church and the Village Hall.
Its flower festival is growing in reputation as are music events and supper talks and the horse show.
It is a wonderful rural location that is friendly and inclusive. However increasingly the lack of reliable broadband is a massive frustration.
The villagers have come together to fight for improved broadband connection and have appeared on Radio 4 and in The Times! The average download speed is around 1mbps whilst upload averages at 0.3 mbps. Frustration is huge as not only are speeds slow but the connection is so often lost completely. Add to this we have no mobile phone signal! Streaming, smart meters, Netflix are developments we have yet to enjoy. Communication fit for the 21st century is our ambition so that we can complete everyday tasks and businesses can operate effectively.
The 'Keep Connected' grant is being offered by Herefordshire Council and Fastershire to help groups and organisations in Herefordshire change their approach so that they can continue to deliver their activity, service or support during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Groups and organisations can access a grant up to £500 to fund new software subscriptions, online platforms or technology, such as microphones, headsets, cameras or large screens, and will have access to free expert support to help them set-up and operate the new technology. Community groups, registered charities, Social Enterprises, Community Interest Companies and Parish/Town Councils may apply.
Click here for essential information to read before applying. Click here for an application form. (Please note that applications for Laptops are likely to be refused.)
Community groups looking for non-digital support should contact their local electoral ward link worker. To find out who they are, please email talkcommunitycovidresponse@herefordshire.gov.uk.
Local community organisations, groups, clubs and other not-for-profit organisations in Herefordshire can apply for up to £2,500 funding to arrange internet support and training so that local people can make the most of the benefits of going online.
Click here for further information and an application form or email go-online@fastershire.com
Do you know of a group or club in your community in Herefordshire who would like to find out more about using the internet and the benefits of going online?
Fastershire can arrange for a tutor to bring laptops and tablets to the group’s usual meeting place, or another venue with internet access, to demonstrate how to send emails, search for information about the local area, or shop or pay bills online, and then support them to ‘have a go’ themselves.
To find out more please email go-online@fastershire.com. These free sessions could lead to a longer course for those who are interested in developing their skills at going online.
Learn My Way (www.learnmyway.com) is a website of free online courses for beginners, helping you to develop digital skills to make the most of the online world. It's also got courses and resources to help you inspire people in your community to use the internet and help them improve their digital skills - including a 'How to be a Digital Champion' course.
We also have a whole host of training guides here that you can download for your own learning or to use when training someone else.
There are many organisations across Herefordshire who regularly offer computer courses and support for beginners. Information about just some of the training offered is available here.
For details of the free monthly workshops at Libraries in Herefordshire visit our events page.
Details of beginners' computer courses offered by Adult Education in Gloucestershire are here.
If you would like to be notified about beginners’ computer courses offered by organisations in Herefordshire please register.
Here's a list of home broadband providers who offer packages for homes connected by Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) or Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), with links to their web sites, so you can find out if they're up and running where you live.
Click here to view FTTP providers >
Fibre to the premises (FTTP) is one of the world's most cutting edge types of fibre broadband with blistering speeds of up to 330Mbps and 1000Mbps.
If you get enabled with FTTP, you can order it through one of the following Service Providers.
We'll update this page as more ISPs start to offer FTTP.
Location: Kington Library, The Kington Centre, 64 Bridge Street, Kington, HR5 3DJ
Date: Tuesday 16th May 2017
Time: 10:00-12:00
Absolute Beginners' Guide to Social Media
Find out how to create Facebook and Twitter accounts, connect with people and control what people can see about you.
We will have computers there for you to ‘have a go’ and discover how to keep in contact with friends and family using social media
Contact: 01432 260 600 or email kingtonlibrary@herefordshire.gov.uk.
Kington Library, The Kington Centre, 64 Bridge Street, Kington, HR5 3DJ
Below is a list of videos from our YouTube channel.
Get the most out of the internet with FREE training from Fastershire in Ross-on-Wye and Cinderford.
Booking is essential, please call 01432 260026.
No experience is necessary and equipment will be provided if required.
The Larruperz Centre, Grammar School Close, HR9 7QD
How to use your tablet
Wednesday 6 June, 2pm-4pm
How to use the internet
Monday 11 June,10am-12pm
Introduction to email
Friday 22 June, 5pm-7pm
Belle Vue Centre, 6 Belle Vue Road, GL14 2AB
How to use the internet
Tuesday 5 June, 10am-12pm
Introduction to email
Wednesday 13 June, 2pm-4pm
How to use your tablet
Monday 18 June, 5pm-7pm
96,516 Faster homes & 
99
exchange areas 
7,000 km of 
621
cabinets Faster broadband is being rolled out across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire between now but it is not possible to flick a switch to make every area go live on the same day and some areas will go live before this. Register your interest today and we'll let you know when you can order.
Internet Training
Videos
Home Benefits
