Digital Peninsula Network, Penzance

Sustaining the network

Lynda Davis became director in April 2004, after a period of some turbulence. Despite its success in meeting/exceeding its required outputs, the network has found it difficult to retain directors given its short funding span of only three years. Because it is a private sector led organisation, it is unusual as an Objective One funded project. Most Objective One funded projects for business in Cornwall to date have been led by public sector agencies.

Davis inherited management of the network with only 19 months to go before funding formally ends. This funding was provided on the basis of the project becoming sustainable - self-financing - after Objective One funding. Although understandable in the context of the aims of Objective One, many DPN directors believe that, since the network's membership includes around one quarter of unemployed or very low paid members, the requirement to be self-financing with a base of members who are often out of work is unrealistic. However, there has always been a strong commitment to increase DPN's own income. This is the main challenge facing Davis and her team as the project winds towards its end.

Jennifer Atherton, the DPN centre manager: 'Members can drop in and get access to high spec kit and software that they don't use enough to justify buying it themselves'

Founding director, Kevin Brownridge: 'There is a sense that public sector run projects are more likely to get funding after their three year initial budgets run out. In Cornwall the public sector is seen to be much stronger than the private sector. It has always been harder for DPN to argue the case to lead projects in an area where there is little track record of private sector led projects receiving public funding like Objective One. This is particularly true of projects focussed on small micro businesses.'

Lynda Davis previously worked as a commercial facilitator at Bath Spa University College. She had strong connections with Cornwall, her grandfather having taught at the Cable & Wireless College at Porthcurno in the far west. Projects in Cornwall often find it hard to recruit and retain quality management staff from outside the county who don't have an additional aim to return to or live in Cornwall.

'I had been trying to move to Cornwall for some time,' she says. 'I first heard about DPN from my parents who were staying at a hotel that was run by a DPN Director who had installed a wifi zone there. From that time on I followed the progress of the network and was delighted when this job came up.'

One tip Lynda gives to others seeking to do similar work is to get local papers delivered to them if they wish to return to Cornwall. 'Relying on websites to look for jobs is not good enough at this stage.'

Lynda's previous experience also includes managing a business centre for the virtual office company Regis in Bristol. Virtual office (a telephone answering service for micro companies wanting a professional administration while unavailable) is one of many options DPN has to create income flows to help sustain its work in the future.

However, Lynda's most relevant experience, she suggests, was running a not-for-profit project in Florida. 'I successfully turned round the Miami Beach Botanical Garden which had very little income. I helped make it sustainable in a relatively short period of time.' This experience will be useful with only 13 months of funding remaining.