Fylde Community Website Hosting Offer

Fylde Council provides free WordPress web hosting for eligible community groups, charities, and sports clubs based in the borough.

Each participating organisation receives a dedicated website hosted on our secure WordPress platform, with:

  • Full admin access to manage your own content.
  • A clean, customisable WordPress site (either a subdomain or custom domain should you own one).
  • Your own isolated data space within our shared environment.
  • Secure hosting managed by the council’s IT team.
  • No design, content, or day to day technical support is provided– this is a self-managed offer.

Technical Overview

Platform: WordPress Multisite, hosted in a secure cloud server environment.

Data Separation: Each organisation has isolated database tables and file storage.

Ownership: You retain full access to your content and media- we do not edit or control your site.

Portability: If you wish to migrate your site in future, we can support data export.

Governance: Sites must adhere to our acceptable use policy and be non-commercial in nature.

This hosting offer is part of our commitment to social value and digital inclusion, helping community organisations thrive online without unnecessary cost.

Applications are welcome via the Expressions of Interest form.

Note: This is a DIY service. You’ll receive a blank website, admin login, and simple setup guidance- the rest is up to you.

Fylde Council Community Website Hosting – FAQs

❓ Who can apply?

Any Fylde-based charity, community group, voluntary organisation, or not-for-profit sports club is welcome to apply.
The service is intended only for non-commercial, community-focused organisations.

❓ What do we get?

You’ll receive:

  • A hosted WordPress website with full admin access

  • Up to 1GB of storage space for your content and media

  • A secure connection (SSL certificate) for peace of mind

  • The ability to map your own domain (or use a subdomain provided by us)

  • Access to basic setup guidance and a self-managed dashboard

❓ Do we get support with design or editing?

No — this is a self-managed offer.
You will be given a clean WordPress site, and it’s up to you to build and update your content.

However, we will provide a simple getting started guide and can recommend safe plugins or resources if you’re stuck.

❓ Can we use our own domain name?

Yes. You can either:

  • Use a Fylde-provided address like yourgroup.fyldecommunity.org, or

  • Connect your own domain name (e.g. www.yourclub.org.uk) — we’ll help you with this setup.

❓ Is the site secure?

Yes. All hosted websites include an SSL certificate, so they’re accessed over https://.
If you’re using your own domain, SSL is applied once it’s connected.

❓ How much storage do we get?

Each site starts with 1GB of storage, which is enough for most small websites with regular updates.
We can review this on a case-by-case basis if you need more space later on.

❓ Do we get access to the database or FTP?

No — this is a shared platform, so we don’t offer direct database (MySQL/phpMyAdmin) or FTP access.
You manage your site entirely through the WordPress admin dashboard.

❓ Can we move the site later?

Yes — if your organisation decides to grow or move to a different host, we can help you export your site content so you’re not locked in.

❓ What’s the catch?

There isn’t one — but this is a DIY service. You’ll be expected to:

  • Build and manage your own website

  • Follow our acceptable use policy

  • Use the site for non-commercial, community benefit