Connecting Cumbriathrough superfast broadband

December 2011

Welcome I’m very pleased to say that November saw the publication of the Connecting Cumbria strategy.

The completion of the strategy is a big step forward for the project. It sets out the partnership’s vision for the superfast broadband coverage we want to see in Cumbria.

It also describes how partners will work together and with communities and commercial organisations to make this vision a reality for the many people and businesses keen to receive superfast broadband.

This strategy means that everyone connected with or interested in the project, whoever they may be, can clearly understand our plans, how we will deliver them and how we will measure success.

Connecting Cumbria cannot be achieved through public sector funding alone, so the strategy is also important because it shows the support and commitment which will be needed from partners, communities and commercial providers if we are to get the maximum coverage for Cumbria.

The strategy has been put together with input from representatives from all the partners involved in the project, including parish councils, Broadband Hub Coordinators, Broadband Champions, the Chamber of Commerce, Cumbria Leaders’ Board and the Chief Executives’ Board in the county.

You can view the full strategy online at connectingcumbria.org.uk where there is also an easy to read summary, which will hopefully be a useful way to share the strategy with people you know who may be new to the project.

Councillor Elizabeth MallinsonCumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Organisational Development and ICT portfolio holder What is Connecting Cumbria?

A project to deliver a superfast broadband connection to even Cumbria’s most rural communities and businesses.

Cumbria has been named as one of four national pilots to benefit from better broadband, and Cumbria County Council has been asked to lead the project using £17.1 million Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) funding. £6.7 million has also been granted from the Cumbria Leaders’ Board and Chief Executives’ group.

Plans, progress and partnerships in 2012We’re on the brink of a new year, and one which is set to be a productive and exciting time for Connecting Cumbria.

With many major milestones on the horizon, the project is set to move ahead at a pace.

One of the biggest recent developments which is helping us move forward is the publication of the Connecting Cumbria strategy.

This sets out our vision and makes sure all those involved know where we are headed and how we will get there, so this has laid the foundations for new progress in 2012.

Now to the future, and we are looking forward to sharing a new project timeline very soon. We’ve spent recent weeks talking to our colleagues in central government and at the European Redevelopment Fund (ERDF). These discussions are helping us ensure that the contract we are in process of developing will be let on the best possible terms for the county and means that work can continue with confidence.

With this new clarity around our funding, we are keen to enter into the final stages of dialogue with the two short-listed bidders - BT Global Services and Fujitsu –who are bidding to deliver the technical infrastructure of the project.

We’re pleased to say that our bid for ERDF funding has progressed further and we’re in the process of putting together a detailed bid for £15.4m funding which would mark a major boost for the project.

The county council is also asking the EU for agreement to use public money for this project – called a state aid application. We’re currently in talks and are awaiting the final decision in late spring 2012.

What’s more, the terms and conditions of our 17.1m funding from BDUK and £6.7m from the county’s Performance Reward Grant will also be confirmed in the new year. This will allow all the partners to press on with the plan to deliver superfast broadband in Cumbria.

We will keep you posted of further developments through future editions of this newsletter and on our website.

Connecting Cumbria Newsletter • December 2011

One of the certainties of the Connecting Cumbria project is that Cumbria’s communities are all different - urban and rural, coastal and mountainous – and no one way of delivering broadband will work for everyone.

Residents in many communities are already getting together to look at ways of delivering broadband that is right for them.Grange and Cartmel and the surrounding villages are one example. In this area groups of residents, parish councillors, local traders’ associations, major businesses and district and county councillors have been getting together to discuss bringing superfast broadband to the parishes of Broughton East, Cartmel Fell, Grange over Sands, Haverthwaite, Lower Allithwaite, Lower Holker, Staveley-in-Cartmel and Upper Allithwaite.

The group has been working on a databook for the last eight months after having been tasked by government broadband body, Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK). The databook will contain a range of information about broadband ‘hotspots and notspots’, the appetite for broadband among residents and businesses and the infrastructure which is already in place locally which could form the basis of a superfast broadband network.

Ultimately the databook will become available to prospective commercial internet providers and other groups and communities who might find it useful. BDUK are including a form of the databook in their toolkit for the Rural Broadband Fund for England, which means that Grange and Cartmel’s concept will be used on a national basis.

The group are now also keen to raise awareness of broadband and the opportunities it can bring to local people of all ages. By working with communities the group will also be able to confirm many of the statistics in the databook,

particularly around current broadband provision in homes and businesses, and local people’s interest in receiving superfast broadband.

The group is also being supported by the county council’s community engagement staff in South Lakeland and although activities are still to be confirmed, they intend to work with school pupils, hold community taster sessions, and give demonstrations of how broadband can transform access to healthcare, online shopping, education and more.

The group is also keen to explore the different temporary ways communities may be able to gain internet access until Connecting Cumbria is fully underway. These include satellite, 3G, and other alternative technologies.

Mike Pye, Broadband Hub Coordinator for Grange and Cartmel, and Haverthwaite Parish Champion says: “In Grange and Cartmel we welcomed the opportunity to design, write and implement the databook concept for BDUK following a presentation to other communities, suppliers and Rory Stewart MP.

“We are already engaging with other broadband groups all across Cumbria and working closely with the other Hub Coordinators in the county and will continue to do so.

“Sitting as a peer-elected Hub Coordinator representative on the Connecting Cumbria Board is a great honour and I tend to be the one asking the most awkward questions to ensure that every community in Cumbria can achieve the best outcome possible.”

If you would like more information about progress in Grange and Cartmel, contact Mike at cartmelpeninsulahub@gmail.com

Grange and Cartmel communities come together for superfast broadband

Broadband Champions network continues to growAcross Cumbria a network of Broadband Champions are working alongside Hub Coordinators to keep communities up-to-date and involved in Connecting Cumbria.

Each Broadband Champion represents a parish or group of parishes. They also work closely with Hub Coordinators who in turn have a direct link with the Connecting Cumbria Board. This means that parishes across the county can stay up-to-date with the latest developments.

So far many parishes already have a Broadband Champion. CALC (Cumbria Association of Local Councils) is currently working with Hub Coordinators to

ask parish councils to nominate Broadband Champions in the remaining areas.

It is hoped that all parishes will have a Champion and a link to a Hub Coordinator by the end of the year.

To find contact details for your Hub Coordinator and Broadband Champion, go to connectingcumbria.org.uk

Connecting Cumbria Newsletter • December 2011

BT has announced a further major expansion of superfast broadband in the North West, to include Dalton-in-Furness and Kendal.

It means that more than 16,000 addional homes and businesses in Cumbria are poised to benefit from superfast broadband as part of a major expansion of BT’s roll-out plans. We are also aware of smaller companies working closely with communities to provide local solutions.

The county council welcomes this activity which is complimentary to the Connecting Cumbria Project and sees it as a result in the heightened profile of Cumbria as a place where people want to do business.

North west superfast market heats up

Police continue to use social media to engage with communitiesThe newest partner in the Connecting Cumbria project - Cumbria Constabulary - is continuing to embrace social networking and new media to provide more channels in communicating and engaging with communities.

Cumbria Constabulary encourages its officers and staff to use social networking to enhance their work within communities in order to provide local people with up-to-date information about policing activity in their area.

Cumbria police has a presence on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, including Neighbourhood Policing Teams who also have their own profiles for local residents to follow and befriend.

Officers have created their own professional and personal accounts and have been making use of new technology to host ‘online community meetings’ that provide local people with a direct and instant line of communication to their top local cop from the comfort of their own homes.

To help Cumbria Police develop its social networking sites the force recently held a social media ‘tweet up’ at The Rheged Centre in Penrith for members of the public they identified as movers and shakers in the social media world. The event provided officers with feedback to support them in developing their sites. Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde is supportive of the introduction of new media to policing teams across the county and, in his role as President of the Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB), has provided advice and guidance to help officers maximise the use of social media.

He said: “The introduction of social networking sites has been a really positive move for the constabulary. The popularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter continues to soar and the style of instant communication has become part of everyday life for millions of people, across all generations.

“Cumbria Constabulary is committed to providing an outstanding service to the people of Cumbria and social networking sites provide us with an extra tool to communicate instantly with our communities, issue appeals for information and put important crime prevention advice right into people’s hands.

“Our presence on social networking sites is an addition to the community work our officers already carry out on a day-to-day basis. Face-to-face meetings, neighbourhood surgeries and community events will continue as normal.’’

East Cumbrian broadband activist Libby Bateman has won a national award for her dedication to bringing superfast broadband to rural parts of Cumbria.

Libby has won the title of Talk Talk Digital Hero for the North West region, after being nominated for the prize by Rory Stewart MP.

The award recognises Libby’s work to set up the East Cumbrian Community Broadband forum – a group of 15 local community broadband groups which she also chairs.

Together they are driving forward broadband in some of the most rural parts of Cumbria and have been piloting rural broadband solutions on behalf of BDUK that could eventually be rolled out throughout the UK.

A Talk Talk spokesperson said of the award: “Libby and the forum deserve this prize because they are about to transform, not just the lives of individuals, not even just the lives of Cumbrians, but those of rural communities around the UK.”

For more information go to broadbandcumbria.com

Broadband activist receives national award

Understanding what the county’s many business owners want from Connecting Cumbria is a major part of the project. It is vitally important that the final contract meets their needs in order to help them to grow and create jobs in the future.

A recent survey of hundreds of Cumbrian businesses has been an important part of this. Likewise, Connecting Cumbria project leaders have met with the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership Board and the Large Employer Affinity groups in Carlisle and West Cumbria, facilitated by the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce which has long been a key partner on the Connecting Cumbria board, too. Further discussions with a wide range of business organisations are planned over the coming months, and we will keep you up to date with information.

Getting broadband in business

Connecting Cumbria Newsletter • December 2011

Community Messaging helps communities stay safe and in touchA community messaging service is helping people across Cumbria stay up-to-date with issues in their local area from crime to major incidents and much more.The service is a great way to communicate both with people who have access to the internet and those who don’t through one system.

Cumbria Community Messaging allows anyone in Cumbria to get up-to-the-minute information on a wide range of community issues by email, voicemail or text, depending on their preferences for receiving information.

Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Association is leading the project, with support from Cumbria Constabulary, Cumbria Community Safety Partnership and Cumbria County Council’s emergency planning and trading standards teams and fire and rescue service.

It’s free for residents to receive information and members can choose what they would like to receive information about and how and when they get it. Alerts on a range of community issues will be sent out through the system, from emergency incidents and bogus sales people to fire safety events.

The service also gives people the opportunity to respond with information about a particular crime, a local scam, or even a missing person.

Residents can sign up to Cumbria Community Messaging now to begin receiving information on local issues.

Communities who would like to can even set up their own community network by purchasing a portal on the Community Messaging Service. This would enable them to circulate news and information quickly and easily to local people.

Judith Derbyshire, a Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Board Member, says: “Cumbria Community Messaging Service is a useful way for members of the public to get information about emergencies and local news, whether they want to get it via phone, email or text message.“Having said that, the most cost effective way to send information out through the system is via email, so yet again this is another of the many benefits of having widespread broadband coverage.”Dr John Perkins, Chair of the Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Association, said: “We are keen that as many people as possible are aware of Cumbria Community Messaging and sign up to receive updates because it is an excellent way of communicating with people quickly and effectively, whether they have the internet or prefer phone or text message contact.”Anyone can sign up to the scheme now at cumbriacommunitymessaging.co.uk and begin receiving updates about issues and events right away.

People without internet access can fill out a form available from community police officers that they can hand in to their nearest police station or to a member of their local neighbourhood policing team.

For more information contact Dr John Perkins, Chair of the Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch Association 01768 881671 or email drjohnperkins@aol.com

Connecting Cumbria Newsletter • December 2011

Connecting Cumbria conferenceWe’re already looking forward to the very first Connecting Cumbria conference which will take place in the spring.

Connecting Cumbria is a major partnership project and so, in the spirit of partnerships we want to hear from you:

• What do you want to see on the agenda?• Are you interested in getting involved and helping

plan and deliver the conference?

Contact us at info@connectingcumbria.org.uk or call us on 01228 221737 to get involved.

Get involved!Connecting Cumbria can only get the best possible superfast broadband coverage with support from communities across the county – so we need your help.

There are volunteers around Cumbria called Hub Coordinators and Broadband Champions. They are working with communities to help them develop solutions to bringing broadband to their area.

You can get involved by:

• Becoming a Hub Coordinator or Broadband Champion as we are still recruiting in some areas. Email info@connectingcumbria.org.uk if you are interested in becoming a Hub Coordinator.

• Speaking to your Hub Coordinator about how you can help develop plans in your area. Go online to connectingcumbria.org.uk to find contact details for your Hub Coordinator.

• Where there is not a Hub Coordinator in your area you can speak to your parish councillor. Find parish councillor contact details at calc.org.uk

Would you or someone you know like to automatically receive each edition of this newsletter as soon as it is published?

If so, please contact us to be added to our mailing list. Email us at info@connectingcumbria.org.uk

Several communities have found that a great way to share Connecting Cumbria news locally is through a dedicated broadband page on their community website.

Many parishes have community websites, that are already important sources of local information.

Patterdale is a top example. There, residents have added specific broadband information to their community website at patterdaletoday.co.uk.

Ronnie Auld, Chair of Carlisle Parish Councils Association and CALC representative on the Connecting Cumbria board says: “Providing very local news and keeping people updated about what is happening in individual communities is really important in this project, and using community websites is an excellent way to do this.”

If you are a Hub Coordinator or Parish Broadband Champion and would like help and information about how to set up your own broadband pages contact Ronnie at rauld@calc.org.uk.

Connecting Cumbria in your community

Stay connected!There are lots of ways to get in touch with us and stay up to date with what’s going on.

By phone: 01228 221737By email: info@connectingcumbria.org.ukOnline: connectingcumbria.org.ukOn Twitter – follow us: @connect_cumbria