Somehow between all the many threads we hold open and reported here are several community outreach and one off introductions to account for, not least in case they get forgotten.
During 2022/3 Catbytes were in regular touch seeking network development support for some of their social centre clients and contacts. With their introductions we toured several community centres in Lewisham to help out with broadband troubles.
The first stop was at Honor Oak community centre where the centre manager was struggling to cope with layers of BT installation that over selling of services had introduced. We rationalised all the cables in the office, rationalised the wifi in the building and got the laser printer reconnected!
Barnes Wallace was a wartime hero my dad found fascinating, a munitions engineer with social consciousness who has a community centre in his name in the Somerville Estate in New Cross.
The centre manager Errol is well known for holding regular Martial arts sessions where local families can train together in social centres around Lewisham. Broadband service in the estates and streets locally is really hopeless, basic ADSL but no fast broadband let alone Fiber to the premises (FTTP). We helped them link up rooms in the centre to improve their suitability for youth training and games development classes, yet their broadband connection remains basic.
Next we visited Christchurch Bellingham and met with the jolly Yorkshire vicar Fiona Thomas who also looks after 2 or 3 other local churches. This one is huge timber roofed structure built by Deptford mariners and has a pipe organ which we have yet to get Bill Drake to visit and play! Their address wasn’t even listed when we contacted Community Fibre on their behalf so once it was, they got themselves super fast FTTP broadband for their regular groups and can now also host Catbytes sessions. Their befriending services are most valuable to locals.
Stanstead Lodge is an over 50’s club on the South Circular road in a grand house with substantial gardens. The ground floor has several large rooms for club use and community hire. Catbytes were keen to help them resolve access to the poorly installed FTTP so they could hold more reliable sessions each Friday Morning. We extended their wired network into the cafe and got all their existing equipment working much better. Cafe and garden is well worth a visit !
Most recently we were called in to support the Carers Lewisham group in Forest Hill where their terrible broadband problems had resulted in a lot of frustration and despair for staff after 9 months of service disruption. Promised fibre lease line service just never materialised. Very pleased to report that since our involvement and some careful pushing of their tech supplier all is now much improved and data flows reliably.
