B4RN - Broadband for the Rural North Ltd

27/10/2026

🏠 Halton’s full fibre future starts with stories like this…

One local resident had been on a copper line for years. It worked… until the weather turned. Rain meant dropouts, video calls to his son in Australia were hit-and-miss, and his monthly bill had been creeping up until it was more than a whopping £60 a month.

This summer, everything changed.

The B4RN team arrived on the hottest day of the year, drilled through the two-foot-thick walls of the beautiful Victorian home, popped the box exactly where he wanted it and had the fibre in within half an hour (earning a rather nice cup of tea ☕️ ). A few weeks later, he was fully connected – and seeing 700–800Mbps straight away, almost 8 times the speed he’d had previously.

He told us: “It’s transformed things here. It feels like a service built for people like us – not something we just have to put up with. I should have switched years ago.”

Government vouchers helped fund the build, and we handled the whole switch from his previous provider, so he didn’t have to lift a finger. He’s now using B4RN Voice too – all his calls and broadband on one easy bill.

🚜 If you live in a B4RN area and you’re still on copper, you don’t have to put up with slow speeds or weather-related dropouts. Full fibre is here – and it’s built by your community.

Read the full story here: https://b4rn.org.uk/about-b4rn/customer-stories/a-halton-resident-lancaster-district

Are you in a B4RN area? Check now - https://b4rn.org.uk/

26/10/2026

🌦️ 𝗔 𝗵𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝟰𝗥𝗡 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗕𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗼

It all started around 9pm on Saturday when severe weather caused a number of cabinet power outages across our rural network.
While many of us were sheltering from the storm, B4RN teams were heading out in challenging conditions to deploy generators, maintain power and keep communities connected. ⚡🛠️
Thanks to their dedication and quick response, service has been maintained across a wide geographic area, helping residents, businesses, farms 🚜 and community hubs stay online when connectivity matters most.
With further stormy weather forecast, our teams remain on standby and ready to respond if needed.

A special thank you to everyone involved - from engineers and network teams to our helpdesk colleagues, all working together behind the scenes to support our communities. 😊
If you experience any service issues, please contact our Helpdesk team and we'll be happy to help.
Most importantly, stay safe and take care if you're out and about. 🏡

🌿
𝟱⭐ 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

22/10/2026

🌦️ 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞. 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.

When Storm Arwen hit the North East, whole communities were left without power, heating and phone signal for days. It was a reminder of how quickly rural villages can become isolated - and how vital it is to stay connected when everything else goes down.

Humshaugh knows this better than most. The Village Hall already acts as an emergency hub, with solar panels, batteries and a generator to keep people safe during outages. But until recently, the village’s digital infrastructure was holding it back. Slow speeds, buffering wheels and patchy reliability made it hard to reach loved ones, access information or run essential services when it mattered most.

That’s now changing. 🙌

Thanks to local residents - including keen supporters like Diana Linnett and a brilliant volunteer group who led much of the on‑the‑groundwork - Humshaugh is switching on its full fibre future with B4RN. The Hall even provided land for the cabinet, and volunteers and neighbours came together through WhatsApp groups, conversations and updates to support the project.

And the benefits go far beyond faster streaming:

• A resilient emergency hub where people can charge devices and access information during storms

• A winter film club that will finally be able to stream movies and run digital events
• A church able to share services with people who can’t attend
• A village more attractive to families, who increasingly rely on strong connectivity for work, school and everyday life

🌿 Humshaugh’s full fibre future isn’t just about speed and better value for residents. It’s about resilience, connection and making sure the village can stay safe, informed and together - whatever the weather brings.

𝐒𝐨, 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🧡

Read Diane's full story: https://b4rn.org.uk/about-b4rn/customer-stories/diana-linnett-humshaugh-northumberland

Are you in a B4RN area? Check now: https://b4rn.org.uk/

19/10/2026

𝐁𝟒𝐑𝐍’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝‑𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐔𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞.

🌾 Across the valley, residents, volunteers and landowners have been working with B4RN to bring gigabit‑capable full fibre to homes, farms and businesses. It’s part of our wider strategy to close the rural digital divide, support local enterprise and build long‑term resilience in places often overlooked by commercial providers.

One of the people helping make it happen is 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐫 - a resident, business owner, early volunteer and investor. After moving to Weardale five years ago, Mike saw how much modern life depends on reliable connectivity. His digital business relies on large daily data transfers, and his household spans multiple generations, all needing stable broadband.

Mike became one of the first volunteers, knocking on doors, chatting to neighbours and helping people understand how much hidden technology already relies on good connectivity. Today, he’s also backing the project financially, recognising the long‑term value of community‑owned fibre. 🙌

🚜 And this is exactly how B4RN’s model works:

- Local people spread the word
- Volunteers help gather demand
- Landowners grant wayleaves
- Government funding covers up to 80 percent of build costs
- B4RN designs, engineers and delivers the network

Together, these contributions make challenging rural builds possible.

As Mike says: “𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬. 𝐁𝟒𝐑𝐍 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝‑𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬.”

So, a huge thank you from us to Mike, for being such a legendary local champion 🧡

Read Mike’s full story here: https://b4rn.org.uk/about-b4rn/customer-stories/mike-orr-upper-weardale-county-durham

If you live or work in the area, now is the time to register your support and help keep the momentum strong. Check www.b4rn.org.uk

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...

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