Our WiFi

The Wifi In September 2024, before we officially took over the hub on October 1st, the council removed the wifi. This was part of the transition process from council to community ownership, as the wifi would no longer be their responsibility, relieving the district of one more expense. However, the small management team that took over the hub needed wifi to set up the booking system, work on the website, communicate with the council and funders, as well as with the groups that use the hub, trustees, and members. The necessity of efficient communication for a community hub cannot be overstated; without internet access, operations would become slow or impossible, we could have potentially failed. the sustainability manager, took it upon himself to purchase a mobile data wifi dongle for £30 a month to maintain the hub's internet connectivity. This enabled the hub’s email addresses, website, and booking management system to remain functional for all users. More than six months prior, he had applied to Vodafone for ten charity sim cards, which came with a free amount of data for charities working towards digital inclusion — a mission we certainly fit. While our application was successful, the sim cards took a long time to arrive, they had not yet arrived by the time we took over in October. The admin manager bought a sim card to use as a contact number on the booking system and website then, Polmont Community Council (PCC) donated a mobile phone (for the new sim card) and a computer for us to use in managing the center in the main office. With the council's departure, the admin manager and Monty moved in to the former council office to manage operations. The donated computer and printer have continued to serve the groups using the hub seamlessly over the following months. From that office

Initially, the donated dongle provided the only internet access for our operations. The booking coordinator required a dedicated phone number for administrative purposes related to group bookings. To ensure that people could easily contact the hub for inquiries about its operation and maintenance, the admin manager kindly purchased a SIM card that included a phone number, which we still use as our main contact number today. For several months, we did not have a secretary, which caused the management team a lot of extra work. Consequently, the bookings email address and telephone number have taken on an enormous amount of administration, customer care, bookings, event organizing, maintenance calls, funders’ meetings, council liaison, and interactions with lawyers and architects. The calls and emails are non-stop! Managing this through personal phones would be impossible. We are currently investigating how AI can help alleviate some of the pressure on our admin team.

Eventually, we were thrilled to receive the long-awaited charity SIM cards. However, at the time of application, our charity was registered to a personal home address, which changed, resulting in the misaddressing of the SIM cards. This caused a slight delay, but we ultimately resolved it. After some time, the charity SIM cards arrived, enabling the new mobile phones to operate with free but limited data. Another free SIM card with limited data was placed in the purchased modem, allowing it to function effectively as the hub's Wi-Fi for six months. As the six-month period of free data ended on June 25, we easily replaced it with another SIM card. However, our monthly data usage was increasing, so we needed to boost our data with the donated dongle to continue service.

Unfortunately, the contact number SIM card also ran out. We could not transfer the number to another free SIM; however, our admin lead generously gifted a new SIM, but we had to take out a new contract to enable the contact phone to make and receive calls while not at the hub, as it is essential for running the business. Our admin lead diligently sourced the best value for this contract, saving the hub money once again. We still have some of the free SIM cards left. Since their free data lasts for six months, we replaced the original modem SIM when the first six months of free but limited data ended. However, due to an increase in online management meetings, the data ran out, and the dongle had to be used briefly again. The bookings coordinator then applied for free Wi-Fi from Virgin Media, which included free installation paid for by Falkirk District Council. She was successful, and at the start of July, we had the installation crew come in to set up our fibre optic Wi-Fi connection. They provided great instructions on optimizing usage, and the installers were hardworking and knowledgeable. In mid-July, we welcomed a new volunteer who has been a fantastic addition to our IT crew. He helped sort out some issues we had with our CCTV in collaboration with the excellent Verifier Security. Our new volunteer then decided to improve the Wi-Fi coverage and update the settings. He generously donated three Deco Wi-Fi extenders (for the west, east, and center), significantly enhancing our high-speed unlimited data coverage throughout the entire hub, all at no cost.

This installation is fantastic news for our planned upgrades to the business energy management system, Our CCTV and other digital systems will be operable via mobile devices, including door entry systems, the smart plugs we received as a gift from Currys.heating timers, and lighting — truly bringing us into the digital age. The hub management team is proud to announce that Polmont Community Hub has had free Wi-Fi since our foundation, and we have now secured free fibre optic fast unlimited data for the hub and its supporters for a further five years. Polmont Community Hub management would like to express our gratitude for our Wi-Fi journey to Vodafone, Virgin Media, Falkirk District Council, Polmont Community Council, and all our supporters.We will be receiving five years' worth of free wifi, thanks to , the council, and Virgin Media.