Last July the blogsite enabled Natland Parish Council to find a 'broadband champion'. The item is archived with a link to a letter of 6 July 2011 from CALC which is still relevant background information, (click on Broadband Letter) although the meeting referred to and others have since taken place. John Johnstone was chosen but has stepped down because he is now working in Bristol during the week giving him little family time at weekends. John is willing to help support his successor by phone or email.Please can you help us find a replacement for John?
Parish broadband champions have a role as part of the County-wide "Connecting Cumbria" (by superfast, or at least faster, broadband) project, details of which are on www.cumbria.gov.uk/broadband. An inaugural meeting of Champions in South Lakeland on 10 October 2011 agreed that parish champions would meet and organise themselves on a Local Area Partnership (LAP) basis. South Lakeland District is divided geographically into 8 LAPs. Natland is in the South Westmorland LAP with 19 other parishes. Each LAP would appoint a 'Hub Co-ordinator' who would meet on a District and County basis. The meeting identified that parish champions could:
- identify the level of broadband provision in their area;
- promote enthusiasm for faster broadband in their area;
- identify the demand/need for faster broadband in their area;
- communicate/liaise with their LAP hub co-ordinator and other parish champions in their LAP;
- investigate/explore possible technical/infrascture solutions, especially those that fit into the "Connecting Cumbria" project;
- help devise 'community solutions' to deliver faster broadband in their area.
SW LAP broadband champions currently meet about every two months at 7.30pm in Preston Patrick Memorial Hall; the next meeting should be in late March. Travelling expenses (45p per mile) can be claimed from the appointing Council. Natland Parish Council is keen to appoint a successor to John, ideally at its 27 February meeting. Anyone interested should contact me via the blogsite. I can provide further information such as minutes of meetings to give a feel of how things are (or are not) progressing - it's a marathon, not a sprint!
David Peters
Chair of Natland Parish Council