I am just back from the offical launch event for Connecting Dorset which was held at Charlton Down Hall. What a great event with some really lively discussion and debate about the project, its aims, and the vision which is held for village halls to provide a new village hub around the use of technology. It was great to hear support for the project and people who are already engaging in its activities. It is also clear that there needs to be much more promotion of the project in the coming weeks and months if its ambitions are to be achieved.

I was invited to be part of the Q&A panel alongside Michael Dunn, Regional Manager for BT, Oliver Letwin MP for West Dorset, Jane Raimes now with Citizens Online and formelly Chief Exec with DCA as well as Baird Oldrey and a representative from DAPTC.

Baird Oldrey from West Moors Village Hall and Chair of the Dorset Village Halls Association gave a presentation on the importance of the project in meeting the needs of modern villages, and he compared the vision and ambitions of the project to those of another local group who aimed to make a difference – the Tolpuddle Matryrs. He also reminded people in the audience that another famous figure in the development of online communications who grew up in Dorset, has gone on to make something of his vision – Sir Tim Berners-Lee!

Connecting Dorset, believed to be the first county wide project of its kind in Britain and a potential pilot for other county areas, is run by Dorset Community Action and Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils in partnership with Citizens Online who have prepared a news feature here. www.citizensonline.org.uk/conline/news/display?contentId=5013