Community
East Liverpool RDA runs equine assisted therapy for disabled children and adults. Their site is an office, two sets of stables, paddocks and outdoor riding areas. We covered all of it, and we did it at cost.
The client
East Liverpool RDA is an independent, community run charity offering equine assisted therapy and riding sessions for disabled children and adults across Merseyside. Chair and Founder Natalie Burns set it up in 2017, first in St Helens and now on School Lane, Rainhill.
It opened just as the Covid lockdowns hit, and has since welcomed hundreds of riders through its doors, alongside activities like Tea With A Pony.
The challenge
The charity secured grant funding for a broadband connection, a Wi-Fi network and learning equipment including iPads and laptops, plus ongoing subscriptions and IT support. The difficulty was never the office. It was everywhere else.
Staff, volunteers, visitors and riders all needed reliable Wi-Fi wherever they were on site, not just at a desk. A single router in the office was never going to reach two sets of stables, the paddocks and the outdoor riding areas.
The outcome
The charity now has fast, reliable Wi-Fi across the whole site, from the office to the furthest paddock. Staff can work anywhere on site, riders can use the new iPads and laptops during sessions, and visitors can get online.
Because the network is monitored, problems are spotted and fixed before they get in the way of a session.
Why we did it at cost. We quoted the whole project without profit. The difference East Liverpool RDA makes to riders and their families touched everyone at Synergy Max, and it fits with the values we try to live by as a local business. It sits alongside the other local causes we support, including An Hour For Others and Health Through Sport.
In their words
East Liverpool RDA does incredible work, and we wanted to help in the best way we know how. Getting reliable Wi-Fi across stables and paddocks was a great technical challenge, but the real reward is seeing the riders use the new equipment. We look forward to supporting Natalie and the team for many years to come.
Jamie Rowland, Synergy MaxQuestions
With outdoor rated access points, mounted and aimed properly, and a survey first. Thick stable walls and open ground behave very differently, so we plan where each unit goes rather than mounting them where the power happens to be. On this site five outdoor access points covered the office, both sets of stables, the paddocks and the riding areas.
A 5G connection is often the answer, and it is not a compromise. This site runs at over 300 Mbps on 5G, which is faster than a lot of fixed lines. Where fibre is not available or the lead time is unworkable, we will tell you honestly whether 5G will carry what you need.
Yes, and they should not be on the same network. We set up secure Wi-Fi for staff with separate access for visitors and riders, so guest devices can reach the internet and nothing else.
We do, and we are glad to. Where a cause is local and the work matters, we will look at quoting at cost rather than at our normal margin. Talk to us about what you are trying to do and we will be straight with you about what it would take.
Outbuildings, yards, warehouses or open ground. If your site is hard to connect, tell us what you are working with and we will tell you honestly what can be done.
