B4RN - Broadband for the Rural North Ltd

06/10/2026

Tuesday October 6th at 6pm.
Today is the day of our AGM, if you are a shareholder/member, please join us and cast your votes. The link to join is on the email you will have received from Civica.
You can also read the Annual Report on the voting website, with an update on B4RN’s progress and the difference your support has helped make over the past year.
Thank you for being part of B4RN.

01/10/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘆. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

🌾 Rural Britain powers around £347 billion of economic output, yet its future depends on the digital infrastructure that keeps farms, families and rural businesses connected, competitive and resilient.
Since 2019, B4RN has grown from 5,000 to 16,000+ connected customers, expanded to 32,000+ rural properties and delivered full fibre to places long overlooked by traditional providers.
We remain firmly committed to doing all we can to level up rural communities, enable smarter British farming, and support environmental innovation - from automated milking systems and hydro farms to critical school connectivity and wildlife projects like the Kielder osprey initiative. 🐦
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥.

📅 𝗪𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗚𝗠 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿.
Fully virtual, we'll be giving a full update on the Community Benefit Society you've helped build during a period of serious momentum - and where we’re heading next.
🔗 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀
Can't find the link? No problem, simply reach out to [email protected] and we'll sort.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘆. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

23/09/2026

A quick reminder for all our B4RN members: our 2026 AGM will take place online on Tuesday 6 October at 1800.

If you can't join us, please use the voting link in the email you received to cast your vote.

You can also read the Annual Report on the voting website, with an update on B4RN’s progress and the difference your support has helped make over the past year.

Thank you for being part of B4RN.

20/09/2026

Short 1 minute video from 13 years ago showing local heroes blowing the fibre to their community. If they can Do IT you can too. And there was time for tea.

B4RN gigabit FTTH community broadband... bringing the world's faste...

21/08/2026

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: By 2014, Silverdale was beginning to see the fibre coming its way over the hill from Yealand. From the volunteers: ‘A group of movers and shakers from the five parishes got together. Some were pushing from The Yealands end, some pulling from Sandside and Storth end, and Silverdale in the middle, with pessimistic limestone-based expectations of feasibility and sharp intakes of breath all round. They helped out in Borwick to learn the ropes, then took the dig further into the Yealands and on to Silverdale.’

A greenhouse was slowly being built, the better to occupy the imminent ungainly and unemployed time of an about-to-be-retired Captain of the soon-to-be King’s (merchant) navy, on leave for the last time before the onset of pensionerhood. Andy, Edgar and Tim recognised an opportunity when they tripped over it and set out to persuade him that his time would be much better spent …
… and so the seeds were sown, taking root after six months at sea, and Martin Lange was reincarnated as the answer to all those problems

B4YS hadn’t even identified by then.

Martin continues to volunteer on the project and is still connecting new customers. I think it is fair to say he knows everyone in Silverdale virtually and has helped other parishes get connected. A true champion of . Recognised by Buckingham Palace and invited to a garden party!

Read more of the Silverdale story here, and about the magnificent ladies and gentlemen who built it. https://book.b4rn.community/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chapter-8.pdf

14/08/2026

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤

Last April, our B4RN team headed to Norfolk to upgrade cabinet battery systems and spend time with the incredible local volunteers who help keep the network thriving.

Thanks to some excellent planning and a long day on the ground, cabinet runtimes have been extended from around 4 hours to an impressive 24 hours. This is a big step forward for network resilience, allowing our teams to focus on supporting customers during power outages rather than deploying generators in the early stages.

A huge well done to Tom Hartley, James Clapham (B4RN), and everyone involved in delivering such a successful upgrade. Special recognition also goes to Thomas Wellings for his care, attention to detail, and commitment to learning more about the core network; it’s great to see that passion in action.

We’re also incredibly grateful to the 30 volunteers and community members who joined us that evening to celebrate what’s been achieved in the area. Your support is what makes B4RN possible, and it’s clear Norfolk is in very good hands for the future.

Thank you to everyone involved — this is what community-powered broadband looks like.

07/08/2026

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Allen Norris

Dolphinholme sits at the Abbeystead end of the parish and wasn’t included in B4RN’s initial Phase 1 plans, but that didn’t slow the community down. This group was determined to get a gigabit connection, whatever it took. Led by Allen and a small team of neighbours, volunteers went out with mattocks and pickaxes to take on the challenge themselves. Liz kept a crowbar in the boot of her car, ready whenever it was needed on site, and in 2012 the group formed DB4RNAG to bring residents and volunteers together, share information and organise the build. They worked in all weathers and raised the money to fund the entire project at a time when there was no external funding available.

Read the whole story, written by Allen, at the end of chapter 1 in the B4RN book.https://book.b4rn.community/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/chapter-1.pdf

07/08/2026

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬?
A quick heads-up can save your neighbours a lot of hassle.

B4RN’s fibre runs underground across fields, verges and private land, and accidental damage is more common at this time of year. A single break can cut off whole communities, trigger emergency repairs and cost thousands to put right - all of which means time offline for homes, farms and businesses.

If you know of upcoming works, simply email the team at 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐬@𝐛𝟒𝐫𝐧.𝐨𝐫𝐠.𝐮𝐤 with your plans and anything which shows the location (what3words is ideal). We can provide accurate maps to pinpoint exactly where our network runs before you start work and avoid any hiccups.

If you uncover damaged ducting or hit something by accident, please contact 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐤@𝐛𝟒𝐫𝐧.𝐨𝐫𝐠.𝐮𝐤 or call/WhatsApp 𝟎𝟏𝟓𝟐𝟒 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟖𝟖𝟕 as soon as possible.

𝐀 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫.

As a community-owned network, we appreciate everyone's help in looking after the infrastructure that keeps rural homes and businesses online.

Thank you
The B4RN Team

31/07/2026

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Led by Arthur Robinson and Martyn Welch, with Colin and the Daves, this was a fantastic story.

The B4SW project began in autumn 2015, when parishioners raised around £500,000 to make the network happen. The first ducts were laid on 26 August 2016, and by the end of the project, 30 kilometres had been laid through New Hutton, 35 kilometres through Old Hutton, and 42 kilometres through Preston Patrick. The first house service went live in January 2017 at Millness, and by February 2018 it was estimated that 51% of all houses in the project had been connected. In total, 97% of homes and businesses across the three parishes were connected.

‘Dad’s Army’ formally disbanded at the end of October 2018, though it has worked occasionally since then. In January 2019, B4RN reported 496 connections.

But that short summary only tells part of the story. The real project was about communities coming together, working tirelessly to deliver something worthwhile, making new friends, enjoying plenty of tea and cake, and having a good bit of craic along the way. Tally ho!

Read the full story here:https://book.b4rn.community/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chapter-12v2.pdf

24/07/2026

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝟒𝐑𝐍𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬.

Keasden and Clapham

This chapter was never meant to happen when it did, but the community's determination made sure it did. There were no vouchers, no government funding —just people getting stuck in and making it happen—and it is well worth a read to see how on earth they did it.

Ann Sheridan, an incredible volunteer who gave so much to the project and is sadly no longer with us, deserves a special mention.

Simon Peach and Ian Jones joined Lancashire to Yorkshire and helped open up the routes to LEWFA, while Colin Price, a local farmer, did much of the digging. A brilliant new contractor, Simon Foster, also joined the B4RNstormers.

Read all about them here:https://book.b4rn.community/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/chapter-7.pdf

There was a story written about Ann Sheridan's life in the Clapham & District Newsletter, which you can find on page 3:https://claphamyorkshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/clapham-newsletter-160-april-2026.pdf