Community Channel, South West

The project will develop a social media-based community channel aimed at older people. The community channel will provide a route to market for locally created media content (localised news and events, real time transport information, trusted traders etc), advice on health and well-being, and telehealth/telecare services. It will combine the best of existing community-based services with state-of-the-art ICT solutions to develop a model community that can be customised to national and local needs. It will be developed and piloted in the context of the needs of older people addressing the issues of social isolation and the reduction in face to face interaction due to budgetary restraints in the delivery of social housing in the Dorset and neighbouring South West area with content specific to local geographic areas for the user. It will be suited to wider roll-out to support the provision of local services across the UK. This roll-out will be enabled via the lead partner, Careline UK, a national provider of services for the elderly and LA support. Business models will be developed in order to ensure that the service is sustainable, and that revenue disbursement to local content providers is addressed.