With some more sign ups and investment we will starting digging next month

Newsletter August 2020
Route 1: Gilpin Bridge-Foulshaw-Town End- Village Hall (VH)
Route 2: VH to Millside, Beck Head, Oversands School and The Lawns
Route 3: VH to Town End, Derby Arms, Ulpha and Meathop
Route 4: VH to Halecat, Dean Barwick School, Spa, Strickland, High Low Farm and Nichols Wood and Helm Crag
Sign-up progress
The Witherslack, Ulpha and Meathop (WUM) community B4RN project has now got 151 sign ups (in excess of 38% of properties in the parish). In the last four weeks we have had a further 18 properties sign up.
We still need to encourage more sign-ups from our community, but we anticipate this becoming easier when people see our aspiration becoming a reality. Importantly we need to get to 50% sign-up before we go live (called the “blowing of fibre” stage) so do please encourage friends and neighbours to take a look at what is being offered - forward this newsletter to them and ask them to CLICK HERE to apply if they haven’t already done so.
Wayleave Progress
The Village Hall Committee has agreed that we can base the cabinet adjacent to the Village Hall and our enormous thanks to them for believing in this project. And our thanks also to all of those landowners on Route One and Route Four who have now kindly signed wayleaves for the route to cross their land. Importantly, given that WUM B4RN is a community benefit project, you should know that such wayleaves are signed in the full knowledge there is no financial benefit – it is simply an act of kindness to allow this community to improve its broadband connection for us all. Wayleaves have now been signed for all of Route One and we have, so far, got to the primary school with signatures on Route Four so we are motoring well at the moment. This is an important step as B4RN will not put us into what is known as “build stage” until we have wayleaves for entire routes signed. Given that we are now at 38% sign-up and 100% wayleaves signed on Route One and the cabinet we are seriously expecting to be put in to “build stage” within the next few weeks!
Investment
Our community investment now stands at £13,000, which has risen significantly since we put out our request for individuals to consider purchasing B4RN shares. In part this has been assisted by Dean Barwick School now becoming part of the B4RN project but it has also been assisted by individual members of this community…a huge thank you. We need to encourage further community investments with our maximum target being £60k before we go LIVE.
So the details: B4RN Shares are purchased at £1 per share, currently attract 5% interest payable annually, have to be kept for a minimum of 3 years, and can only be sold back to B4RN for £1 per share. When investing in B4RN you SHOULD name the Witherslack, Ulpha and Meathop project as the one you wish to help build. These shares are called “withdrawable shares”, there are risks associated with buying these shares given that they are subject to the society’s financial position and the decisions of the directors. For more information about B4RN shares see B4RN investments Investments of £1,500 and over are eligible for free connection (saving £150). Each investor can benefit from up to four free connections from a £6,000 share purchase. These free connections can be donated to other people. You may feel it appropriate to take professional advice before investing.
Build update
As explained above we should begin build in September, and that will mean a contractor appointed to begin laying the fibre ducts. B4RN now has a target date of going live for Dean Barwick School by March 2021.
As always, if you have any questions then please contact us info@witherslackb4rn.org.uk.
Your WUM team is, and please note we have two new members:
Niels Christiansen
Bill Gill
Nick Stanley

Rick Fry
Mark Palacio
Nigel Wilkinson

John Geldard
Steve Ratcliffe
Sue Caddy (B4RN)

Katie Welch
Ian George