Can you help….?

Now we have reached the First Stage Investment threshold, the more detailed work is starting.

We are planning routes now, so if you know of any rivers, culverts or dykes that go under roads near you (please have a look if you are walking the dog…) could you kindly let us know?

Any local knowledge, contacts, advice & help will be gratefully received. Again, please let us know.

Please also tell your neighbours to register their interest if they want to be included. It’s much easier to register & plan now, rather than later!

Please ask them to get in touch with their local contact:

  • Storth –  Steve Spencer  –  steveinstorth@outlook.com
  • Yealand  –  Vince Smith   –  vinceasmith@gmail.com
  • Silverdale  –  Andy Wells  –  andywells52@gmail.com

Stage 1 target reached!


This email is to bring you the great news that all three B4YS villages have reached their Stage One targets!

  • Yealands – target: £25,000 – current level: 100% raised!
  • Silverdale – target: £38,000 – current level: 100% raised!
  • Storth – target: £38,000 – current level: 100% raised!

That’s an amazing £101,000 raised from local residents and businesses – it means that our community-owned Gigabit fibre broadband network will go-ahead.

We will have one of the world’s fastest broadband connections in our parishes…homes, farms, businesses…everywhere. Every property can be connected.

What happens now?

Now all parishes have reached Stage One, the following happens:

  • Stage Two fundraising continues (we’re already making a good dent).
  • We notify all investors of the date that cheques will be cashed.
  • We present our funds to B4RN, which allows our project to begin.
  • B4RN issue receipt documents including Form EIS3, allowing UK taxpayers to reclaim 30% Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) tax relief.
  • We finalise our route between the village halls and check we have permission from landowners.
  • B4RN prepare a detailed plan for our parishes, encompassing all farms, houses and businesses who wish to be connected.
  • The plan includes a final cost for our project; including Stage Two (this is roughly similar to Stage One).
  • The Stage One funds are used to buy materials & equipment for our network.
  • DIGGING BEGINS!

It’s important to note that the figure we’ve reached this week is our Stage One target (which builds the links between the village halls), and there is a second stage to come (the internal parish routes).

Other B4RN projects have found that Stage Two roughly equates to Stage One, but each parish is different, governed by the number of properties to be connected and how long their Stage One route was. We’ll find out our exact Stage Two targets from B4RN soon and keep you updated.

Please continue to invest

Stage Two fundraising starts today so please continue to invest, don’t delay, we’ve still got a way to go!

Now that the project will definitely go ahead, we will forward share forms & cheques to B4RN on a fortnightly or monthly basis, rather than holding them back until we reach the next target. This means your shares can start earning a return straight away. Each step towards the Stage Two target means the network can spread further.

http://www.b4ys.org.uk/how-do-i-get-it/invest-shares/

 

A call for volunteers

The B4YS network will be built by the community. Why? Because the national providers won’t do it for our rural communities – we have to do this ourselves! This is just what our neighbours have done to get their fibre, we can do it too.

We need volunteers for all sorts – organising, canvassing, route planning, digging, technical etc. – so please let us know how you can help. We are building up our contacts list for future use, and will be contacting people from it as & when we need.

Fill out the form below to tell us how you can help. If you have a digger or can pull a mole plough, you have just become our new best friend!

http://www.b4ys.org.uk/how-do-i-get-it/offer-help/

 

Register for a connection

A 1,000Mbps internet connection really is coming to Yealand, Storth & Silverdale, but we need to know where demand is to help us plan & prioritise the network.

We are asking everyone to register their interest for a connection:

http://www.b4ys.org.uk/register/

Filling out this form is not binding and does not commit you to an order, but please only register if you are sure.

A B4RN connection costs £30/month inc. VAT. There is a connection fee of £150 to cover the cost of the new router, unless you are a shareholder investing over £1,500 (then the fee is waived).

A connection means you won’t need a BT landline. You can use a VOIP service like Vonage to route your calls over the internet to get cheaper calls. Hyperfast broadband can work out cheaper per month than your current slow connection!

Until next time

The B4YS team are likely to be very busy over the coming months, preparing for the digging to begin. Don’t worry if news is a little quiet – that’s a good sign.

In the meantime please continue to spread the word. This project where many were sceptical is now happening in a field near you – well done everyone for supporting us. Thank you!