Narberth Museum has been awarded a NEC internet-ready PC and a contribution towards a broadband internet connection worth £180 as part of the BT Community Connections award scheme. In addition, Microsoft Office software is included as part of the award. Now in its third year, the scheme has awarded more than 4,800 IT packages to a diverse range of groups throughout the country enabling them to communicate via the internet. This opens up access to a wealth of information and possibilities, including fund-raising, promotional, recruitment and training opportunities. Narberth Museum was among hundreds that entered in Wales and impressed judges with its ideas about how an internet-ready PC would improve public accessibility to the museum's work during the current period of relocation. The museum, formerly The Wilson Museum of Narberth, has been part of the town for 15 years and is undergoing a move to new premises. The Bonded Stores in Church Street is in need of complete renovation. In the meantime, the bookshop and research room are situated in Market Street. It is hoped the internet-ready PC will make applying for funding quicker and easier while allowing greater public access to the museum and its collection while it is closed. This award will particularly benefit family and local historians with online research enquiries. The museum intends to use the internet to develop a website providing online information about the development of the new museum building. The internet-ready PC will also enable the Narberth Museum to create marketing and educational materials for its work in local schools. Pauline Griffiths from Narberth Museum said: "We are delighted to receive our BT Community Connections award. "The internet-ready PC will allow us to keep the local community informed of our activities and the development of the Bonded Stores in Church Street. "It will also enable our friends and supporters from further afield to keep in touch with us. "We look forward to using the PC to launch a website later in the year and an online shop." Microsoft supports BT Community Connections through its Unlimited Potential programme, which aims to help local groups and communities across the world gain access to IT and IT skills training." Alison Boswell, community affairs manager at Microsoft, added: "It is important that businesses work together to help tackle the issues of digital inclusion by providing access to IT and IT skills. "Especially to the 34 per cent of adults in the UK who have never used the internet. We hope that the winning community groups will be able to bring the benefits of technology to their local communities." The staff and trustees of the Narberth Museum together with the volunteers and friends would like to thank BT Community Connections and Microsoft for this valuable award.
