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on July 15, 2022

Crook becomes a Voucher Priority Area

Great news: the government's DCMS GIGABIT VOUCHER SCHEME team has confirmed the Crook B4RN project is a PRIORITY AREA PROJECT and can continue to apply for voucher funding for hyperfast broadband. They have effectively, for us, scrapped the original deadline, allowing us further access to government funding as we sign up more members of the community to take B4RN’s superior community-driven service. B4RN CEO Michael Lee says “This decision marks a significant change for your project. Prior to this, we expected all voucher applications to be paused from 24th September for up to a year - a decision that brought the viability of many of our projects into doubt. This is no longer the case, thanks, in no small part, to the huge effort to drive sign-up ahead of this deadline, which was a vital part of securing voucher priority status for your project” This is great news for the future of the project and means it’s full steam ahead! We can now move on to the next stage of our project

Crosthwaite School becomes a B4RN school

This morning at the photo-call for the 'official' opening of Crosthwaite School as a B4RN school, Tim Farron MP and Michael Lee (CEO of B4RN) discussed the positive news, of the Government DCMS policy change on the Gigabit Voucher scheme, with Volunteer Leads Henk Muller and Andy Brown of the Crosthwaite and Crook B4RN Projects. Tim and Michael were keen to express their thanks for the active lobbying and support of all the volunteers that forced the agenda with the Minister, whose subsequent debate and consultation with B4RN has changed the process in favour of our community led projects. Michael praised the volunteers for their continued support and patience, whilst B4RN waits for the DCMS's new policy and structure to be announced. It undoubtedly will be good news and the fact that DCMS is focusing specifically on B4RN and the Cumbria area is hugely positive and reassuring for us all. Further message from Michael here : https://youtu.be/Su49xRihehw

September 8th - Digging house ducts at Box Tree

Today I joined Pete Simm and team of 6 volunteer diggers at Box Tree. In total there are ~320 properties for the volunteers and B4RN contractors to dig, fit and connect and today's house is number 9. Eric set the team up well, with tarps laid out and the garden wall and house ducts dug. Our goal was to dig a trench from the boundary wall to the house, and lay 7mm duct... and leave Chris' garden as we found it. We had the trench dug, duct laid and back-filled before the rain - perfect time to take shelter in Eric's shed and enjoy Pippa's flapjacks And after the break the team dug another trench. This was my first dig day as a volunteer and it was fun and a great way to get fitter! Pete made it easy for me to be involved, with clear joining instructions, offers of tools and organising the team so we worked well together. I enjoyed getting to know my neighbours, eating cake, discovering new parts of the Crook area and playing a small part in bringing the fibre ser

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