Dartmoor digital skills workshops benefit local business

Dartmoor National Park has been working with digital training provider, Cosmic, to bring digital knowhow to Dartmoor, offering rural businesses free group workshops  and one to one digital support to help boost their business.      One of the businesses already to benefit is the Forest Inn at Hexworthy.  Set in the heart of Dartmoor, it has stunning views overlooking the Dart and is close to some of Dartmoor’s most popular tourist spots.   Having sadly closed in 2014, it reopened its doors in 2016 following an extensive programme of renovation and refurbishment to restore it to its former glory.  It is now owned by a local partnership keen to bring the pub back to life and it is proving very popular locally, once again building a reputation for offering a warm welcome to walkers, cyclists and riders who can still tether their horse outside.       Jo Rumble, Communities Officer for Dartmoor National Park said ‘it is great to be working with Cosmic and promote this opportunity to businesses on and around Dartmoor.  The Forest Inn is one of the many Dartmoor premises that have been able to benefit from a new superfast broadband connection made possible by Airband the delivery partners for the Connecting Dartmoor and Exmoor superfast broadband programme.’    Shirley Mudge explains "Here at The Forest Inn, we are based in a very rural area on Dartmoor, our business is very seasonal and we were looking for ways to improve our internet presence. Nina at Cosmic has given us help and support whilst using digital, giving us the confidence to build skills and knowledge, enabling us to reach a wider customer base through different types of social media as an aid to increasing business."   "Cosmic are delighted to be providing digital support in our most rural locations of Devon and Somerset. Through the support of the Princes Countryside Fund, we are able to transform rural pubs and community shops, enabling them to understand the benefits of digital, introducing them to new software, apps and hardware and helping them to become more efficient and less fearful of future technology”  said Nina Goodwin, Digital Skills Trainer at Cosmic.  If you are interested in attending the next free digital marketing workshop to be held on the 2 May at the Dartmoor National Park offices in Bovey Tracey, or are a Dartmoor pub or community shop looking for digital support then do contact nina@cosmic.org.uk to see if Cosmic can help.   Notes:   Based in Honiton, Cosmic is an ethical IT business which specialises in website development, IT training courses, business consultancy, tech support, digital marketing and search engine optimisation.  The Green Connections project aims to reach businesses operating in the rural areas of Devon and Somerset – particularly around Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks. With both one-to-one mentoring and group workshops, Cosmic want to provide digital training that can enable rural enterprises to take a leap forward. They want to ensure that rural businesses, such as farms, village pubs and community shops have the knowledge and skills to make the most of digital technology. Cosmic are particularly keen to educate those businesses in the use of social media for their business objectives; helping them to reach new audiences, sell products and communicate with their customers.      Donate for Dartmoor supports a variety of projects across Dartmoor. Donations of time and money are essential for us to be able to look after the heritage and wildlife of Dartmoor and to make it a place for everyone to enjoy today, tomorrow and for the future.