A fossil festival may seem like an unlikely place to showcase the latest in pioneering technology.

But the vision of bringing ancient rock formations to life via the most modern of methods was exactly the inspiration for one sleepy seaside town.

Next month, Lyme Regis, Dorset, will be showing off the largest free, community­-owned wifi network in the country.

Lyme Regis Development Trust project manager Lisa Quick, 40, who has been working on the venture since 2012, said: “Lyme Regis has a unique geology that brings visitors, students and tourists to the town – but our internet coverage was letting us down.”

Lisa and other members of the community decided to create a state-­of-­the ­art wifi network, so that three specially designed smartphone apps could be used on their beachfront and along the neighbouring cliffs.

With funding from the town council and locality, Digital Lyme flew in experts from Guifi.net in Spain who helped them install long-distance antennas to create wifi in the town’s remote areas.

The network had a test run in October and is ready for this year’s Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, along with the three apps.

The first pinpoints the user’s location via GPS and then reveals interesting information about landmarks as they walk around. The second app allows visitors to snap photos of fossils they find. They are automatically dated, tagged and mapped for viewing by experts around the world.

A third app shows a live geological map indicating the different layers of rock.

“I barely knew how to check email before we embarked on these projects,” laughed mum­-of-two Lisa. “But it’s actually surprisingly straightforward. We’re hoping people at the fossil festival take full advantage of our apps and free wifi.”

There is still some way to go but Lisa hopes the possibility of future support from initiatives like The Big Lottery Fund’s Power To Change – the National Lottery and Daily Mirror-backed scheme to invest in community­-led enterprises – will help pave the way to extend the network.

Lisa added: “We’d like to provide wifi for the main high street and playing fields by the school. Everyone wants it to be a community asset as well as something for visitors. We’re hoping our strong business models will show that we can be very self-sufficient.

“You don’t have to be a big company to do something like this. Now we’ve done it, hopefully it will be popping up in communities everywhere.”

Call to action: Apply for share of £150million for YOUR community project

Times are tough but we know many communities like Lyme Regis are working hard to make where they live better.

That’s why Trinity Mirror is backing the Big Lottery Fund Power to Change scheme which will use National Lottery funding to support community enterprises in England.

Together we are throwing the spotlight on communities that are already coming together to make a difference.

So if you want to change something in your area, why not go for it?

The Power to Change Trust will be open to applications from community enterprises from autumn 2014.

If you’re already doing something enterprising in your community, tell us by emailing powertochange@trinitymirror.com

For details, visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/powertochange Follow @BiglfCommunity on Twitter and join the discussion by using #powertochange