Village Facilities

 Exciting plans to provide wireless internet (broadband) into community venues across the district has been revealed.

West Lindsey District Council has appointed Quickline to install wireless broadband into more than thirty village halls, in the first phase of the scheme. It means villages that were previously in broadband ‘not-spots’ or ‘slow spots’ can enjoy high-speed internet of the same speed and quality as urban areas. 

Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr Burt Keimach said: “We have listened to our communities and they are telling us poor internet connection is a big issue. Our priority is to support communities to help themselves and we feel this project is a great enabler to do this. Improving access to high speed broadband will help support community activity, encourage people to pay their bills on-line and improve communication through emails and social media. We are delighted to announce that Quickline, a Humber region internet service provider will start connecting village halls from April this year.” 

Steve Jagger, Managing Director of Quickline said: “Village halls are a hub of activity for rural communities and it is fantastic that West Lindsey District Council has invested funds to improve communications. “ 

“We are delighted to have won the tender and we are looking forward to working with the council to raise awareness of the availability of wireless services in the district and surrounding area.  Rural communities need not wait until 2015.  Our service is available right now with access to internet speeds of up to 20Mbs, which is 40x faster than some were previously used to.”

The council currently provides broadband to some village halls however, this new contract will not only increase connection speeds to those site but extend the number receiving broadband and is 20 per cent cheaper than current costs. This project is in addition to Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) Project and focuses on our more rural communities.

Work is currently being undertaken to explore other initiatives to further compliment high speed broadband in our rural communities. Companies and communities interested in this should contact Steve Bolan direct on 01427 676551

Watch this space for further updates!

For further information on Quickline’s services, please call 01482 247365 or visit www.quickline.co.uk.

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Pass ‘Go’ and collect £500!

West Lindsey District Council is re-launching the Community Action and Volunteering Fund (CAV Fund) under a new name and with more cash up for grabs!

The Community Chest Fund enables groups in West Lindsey to apply for up to £500 to help them with their local projects; previously the maximum was £250.

Areas who are developing a community plan or implementing actions from a current community plan can apply for up to £1,000 to help with this.

A Community Led Plan (sometimes known as a Parish Plan) sets out a shared vision for the community and identifies the action needed to achieve it.

So far the CAV Fund, administered by Community Lincs, has helped more than 100 projects and supported around 1,200 volunteers in its first year. The projects have been wide-ranging from village noticeboards, to sports kit, to youth activities and community gardens.

Treasurer and secretary of the Market Rasen Station Adoption Group, Martin Barnard, is delighted at how the grant made it possible to support a local art group and make a real difference to the look and feel of Market Rasen station.

He said: "We were delighted with how easy it was to apply, how smooth the process was and with the helpful and supportive approach of the people in the West Lindsey CAV team.

"It was so straightforward and beneficial that we have already applied for a further grant."

The Community Chest fund will be available from the 1st May 2013.

If you would like to apply for funding please phone: 01529 301951

Alternatively email: communitychest@communitylincs.com

Click on the link below to view the district map showing where these awards have been made:

http://www.communitylincs.com/download/WLDC%20Area%20map%20March%202013%20(F).pdf

Janet Clark

Senior Rural Officer

Direct Line: 01529 301962

Tel: 01529 302466
Fax: 01529 414267

Web Site: www.communitylincs.com

Community Lincs can help you to save money on your heating oil bills through a bulk purchasing scheme. To find out more follow this link http://www.communitylincs.com/bulk-oil-buying-scheme/


Community Lincs, Church Lane, Sleaford, Lincs. NG34 7DF

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Superfast speeds are just around the corner with a multi-million pound broadband project due to start imminently.  

Businesses and communities across Lincolnshire are set to benefit from fast, affordable fibre broadband as Lincolnshire County Council and BT today (Wednesday 13 March) revealed the details of the planned roll out of superfast broadband across the county. 
The council has signed a contract with BT to build on the existing telecoms infrastructure in the county so that at least 88% of all premises should have access to superfast broadband by April 2016, with the council aiming for everyone else to have access to at least 2Mbp/s broadband. For the first time ever, broadband should be available everywhere in Lincolnshire.

The deal is the largest of its kind in the East Midlands and sixth largest nationally.

Councillor Kelly Smith, Executive Member for Finance and HR, said: 
“The internet is transforming our lives – at home, at work and at school. And thanks to this investment by local councils, BT and national government, everyone will be able to reap the benefits offered by digital technology. This project is going to dramatically improve broadband speeds across the county, bringing a wealth of opportunities for residents and businesses alike. This is the start of an exciting new era for our county.”  

Bill Murphy, Managing Director, Next Generation Access, BT, added: “This is great news for Lincolnshire. We’re already seeing the positive impact faster, fibre broadband is having on businesses and residents in the county and now, thanks to this partnership, the benefits will be felt much wider, helping boost the local economy.” 

Initial information on what’s planned can now be found online at www.onlincolnshire.org, although please be aware these details may change. Alternatively, residents can contact the council’s customer service centre on 01522 782066.

The project, which is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme, will see over £48m of public and private sector money invested in improving the county’s broadband infrastructure. The cash includes £11.2m from the county council, £4m from the district authorities, £14.3m from national government and £18.8m from BT.

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said: “It’s fantastic that for the first time, broadband will be available everywhere in Lincolnshire as the result of one of our largest superfast broadband projects in the country. The UK already does more business online than any other European country, and widespread access to superfast broadband will provide a tremendous boost to Lincolnshire’s local economy.”

BT was chosen following a competitive selection process. Work on the project will start imminently with the first superfast connections expected to be available in January 2014. The roll-out will begin with a period of planning and detailed surveying, before Openreach, BT’s local network business, starts work on the ground.

In addition, £300,000 from the European Regional Development Fund will be used to bring superfast speeds to east coast communities in and around Ingoldmells and Wrangle through wireless technology, with the improvements being carried out by Lincoln firm AB Internet.