More than 100 businesses and community groups have signed up to Carnoustie Connect, a new digital hub for the town, ahead of its official launch today (Thursday 24th September), with almost every business on the high street among them.
The scale of the take-up, organisers say, shows just how much appetite there is for something to bring the town together, sharing information and helpful updates.
Businesses and organisations on board include The Carnoustie Golf Shop, Wallace Vets, The Granary, HAYM, Visions, Carnoustie Theatre Club and The Station Hotel, alongside dozens of other local shops, services and community groups.
The platform officially launches today, giving residents and visitors a single place to discover everything the town has on offer.
The project is being led by Katy Air and Chris Thornton, of Carnoustie-based Airgonomics, who are clear that Carnoustie Connect is a community initiative first, with the technology there to serve it, not the other way round.
Katy Air, of Airgonomics, said: “This was never just about building an app. It’s about making it easier for people to find out what’s on, support the businesses on their doorstep, and feel part of what’s happening in the town. The app is the tool, the community is the point.”
Built with digital town hub specialist Loqiva, the platform lets residents and visitors browse local businesses, catch up on events and news, and find offers and things to do, all from one app or website.
Chris Thornton added: “We wanted something that supported the community here in Carnoustie. Loqiva gave us the technology to do that, however, the ideas, the local knowledge and the drive behind it have all come from the people who live and work here.”
Katy added: “The initial response, from a wide variety of businesses and organisations, has been incredible. We’ve spoken to and heard from many people who are brimming with ideas of how we can use the app to drive collaboration and enhance the understanding of everything that’s going on in this amazing part of the world.
“We hope to keep adding more businesses and organisations in the weeks ahead, and we’d encourage anyone in Carnoustie who hasn’t signed up yet to get in touch. The more of the town that’s on there, the more useful it becomes for everyone.”
For local businesses, the app provides a direct channel to reach customers, promoting what they do. Businesses only have to add their content once for their updates to appear across the app and website, giving them a much wider reach from just a few clicks.
The platform also gives those responsible for showcasing Carnoustie valuable insight into how people engage with the town and what matters most to the community.
Carnoustie Connect joins a growing network of Scottish towns, including Our Arbroath and Love St Andrews, helping local people bring their communities online.
Barry Conlon, co-founder of Loqiva, said: “Every one of these projects looks different, because every town is different. Katy and Chris know Carnoustie inside out, and it shows. This is very much Carnoustie’s platform, not ours. We’re just glad to have helped build it.”
Carnoustie Connect is available now to download free on the App Store and Google Play, and at www.carnoustieconnect.co.uk
