intouch March 2014 North West

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1 BT s investment in broadband is already reaping rewards for businesses and people across the country. But this investment is only part of the story: our recently published report Social Study 2013 looks at the economic impact of BT across the UK and here in the North West. The report, prepared by Regeneris, demonstrates that we play a key role in the economic, business and community life across the region. And the work we do provides a platform for new local business growth. Further details on this are included in this edition of InTouch. There is also good news for the cities in our region, with the announcement of a UK government initiative called the Connection Voucher Scheme. They want SMEs to benefit from 30Mb+ speeds, so will be offering them up to 3,000 towards connection and construction charges. Budget has been allocated to 22 city councils, including two here in our region.further information is included on page 6. Welcome too is the more recent government announcement that an extra 250 million is being made available for fibre broadband. This means that local projects around the UK will now receive additional funding from this substantial pot, with the hardest to reach locations amongst those who stand to benefit most. I have also highlighted the latest Ofcom European Broadband Scorecard, which states that the UK has the highest take-up and coverage of super-fast broadband among the leading European nations. A plethora of other reports have been issued from various organisations, with each in their own way highlighting the continuing importance of fibre broadband to the local economy and how the UK fares against other countries. They make interesting reading and support the work we are doing in the local communities. Whether your focus is enterprise zones, superconnected cities or the rural agenda, we want to work with you to realise the benefits that fibre broadband services can bring to your community. We are also always interested in case studies, so if you have any examples of the benefits super-fast broadband is bringing to businesses or communities, please do share with us. I look forward to hearing from you and exploring the opportunities. me direct: Mike Blackburn, Regional Director for the North West mike.blackburn@bt.com. Company s vital role in regional economy revealed Rural broadband revolution reaches major milestone UK is European leader for superfast broadband Raft of reports prove fibre crucial to UK economy Extra cash found to expand fibre in UK cities Openreach highlights the need for fibre in new developments Engineers shine amid shocking weather Firm commits to connect youth with careers in telecoms Local businesses get chance to go super-fast for less County super-fast project passes major milestone Cheshire village celebrates Super Switch on Day Clutch of new jobs created in Liverpool Apprentices leading Lancashire into super-fast future BT proud to be named official partner of IFB Partnership with Lancashire County Council enters new era Cheshire firms chase investment opportunities in capital BT volunteer helps keep Lytham St Annes lifeboats afloat intouch North West January March

2 Company s vital role in regional economy revealed An independent report has found that BT generated nearly 1.3 billion for the North West economy in the past year. The report by Regeneris Consulting, entitled Social Study 2013 The Economic Impact of BT in the United Kingdom, also shows that we support more than 18,300 jobs in the region through direct employment, our spending with contractors and suppliers and the spending of employees. Analysing the key role our people play in economic, business and community life across the English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the report highlights that, in the North West, we: are responsible for the employment of 9,500 people 7,570 direct employees and 1,930 contractors with a total employment income of 296million spent 282 million with regional suppliers provide work for a further 8,850 people through our spending with businesses that supply our equipment and services, and the spending of employees committed 3 million to community, charity and voluntary programmes in 2012/13, spread around every regional community have enabled more than 75 per cent of our employees to work flexibly, with 640 homeworkers 7 per cent of the direct workforce. In the North West, we have also already made fibre broadband available to 1.9 million homes and businesses, and are working with five super-fast broadband partnerships across the counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. Volunteering too is a core element of our strategy to be a responsible and sustainable business leader. In the North West, employees contributed 3,700 days some 26,700 hours during the year in volunteering activities. The overall beneficial financial impact of our activities is expressed as a Gross Value Added (GVA) contribution. For the North West, our GVA totalled nearly 1.3 billion equivalent to 1 in every 90 of the region s total GVA. The full report is available at com/thegroup/btukandworldwide/ BTRegions/England/Factsandfigures/ Factsandfigures.htm Rural broadband revolution reaches major milestone Last December, rural communities around the UK received an early Christmas present thanks to Super Switch on Day, which saw the first broadband cabinets in a number of projects go live. Super Switch on Day marked the enormous progress of the super-fast broadband partnerships with Broadband Delivery UK the government agency providing 780 million in public funding to extend the fibre network to 95 per cent of the UK by The roll-out is accelerating, with many projects already ahead of schedule. Ten thousand premises per week are already being connected to super-fast broadband, with this number set to increase to 25,000 per week this spring and to 40,000 per week by the summer. This builds on our commercial programme, with combined figures from Ofcom showing that in June 2013, some 73 per cent of UK premises already had access to the technology. Commenting on this transformational infrastructure project, which will give the UK every possible advantage when competing in the global economy, Maria Miller, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: We are now witnessing an incredible transformation of super-fast broadband in Britain, and we are already well ahead of other major European countries in many respects. We re determined to ensure that everyone benefits and that broadband is available in the very hardest to reach areas of Britain, making a real difference to people who live in these communities. intouch North West January March

3 UK is European leader for super-fast broadband The UK has the highest take up and coverage of super-fast broadband among the leading European nations, according to a new report. Ofcom s European Broadband Scorecard 2014 finds that the availability of super-fast broadband has increased in the UK from around 60 per cent at the end of 2011 to 73 per cent. This takes it from third to first place for coverage among the five biggest economies in the European Union France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The regulator s study shows that the UK leads the EU5 on most measures of coverage, take up, usage and choice for both mobile and fixed broadband, and performs well on price. Take up of super-fast broadband, which is capable of providing speeds equal to, or greater, than 30Mbps, had reached nine in every 100 people in the UK at the start of last year, the highest in the EU5. Spain was second with six in every 100 people. Ofcom says that, among the EU5 and using the most recent comparable data, the UK has: highest broadband take-up (83 per cent) highest proportion of people to have bought goods online over a year (77 per cent) highest weekly use of the internet (87 per cent) lowest proportion of people who have never used the internet (8 per cent). Great news Ofcom also analysed a range of broadband product baskets, by examining average and lowest prices available for different packages. The UK comes either first or second within the EU5 on all measures of average price, and either second or third on measures of the lowest available price. Bill Murphy, BT s managing director, said: This is great news for the UK and is largely thanks to BT s fast-moving programme for deployment of fibre broadband across the country, which is among the fastest not just in Europe but around the world. We are on course to deliver fibre broadband to two-thirds of the UK by the end of this spring and we re also working with the public sector on local Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) projects to further extend fibre to the final third of UK premises. These Ofcom findings confirm that, thanks to support from BT, the UK is ahead of the target set by the government to have the best super-fast network among major countries in Europe by Raft of reports prove fibre crucial to UK economy The last six months have seen the publication of a succession of reports that directly support the company s work across the regions and nations and highlight the ongoing benefits fibre broadband can bring to the local economy, and how the UK is faring in the super-fast race compared to other countries. A summary of the other key reports is below. Analysys Mason International Benchmark of Superfast Broadband (November 2013) Asks whether the UK is falling behind its international peers in super-fast broadband services. It presents factual data up to 2012, alongside Analysys Mason s forecasts to 2018, to show that the UK is ahead of its European peers on measures such as coverage, take-up, average speeds and prices. Superfast Cornwall Research (November 2013) Three research pieces which together show that Cornwall s new fibre broadband network is already providing a major economic boost to SMEs in the region. The study is the first of its kind to explore the economic impact of fibre broadband on British SMEs, and demonstrates that it is a critical component of business growth. Ofcom UK Infrastructure Report (October 2013) A comprehensive review of actual UK communication infrastructure, highlighting the strong position of the UK compared to major EU countries and the US in particular against the key government targets of superfast broadband coverage, take-up and overall speed. It also shows that most of the growth in coverage is a result of BT s continued investment in fibre. SQW/government UK Broadband Impact Study (November 2013) Commissioned by the DCMS, this builds on a review of over 100 of the most reliable studies on broadband impact to develop the Broadband Impact Model which quantifies the expected economic, social and environmental impacts of faster broadband on the UK and is the most in-depth and rigorous examination of its kind to date. Links to more reports of interest are below: Analysys Mason The Realities of Connecting the Final 10% of the UK with Superfast Broadband (September 2013) Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) Domestic Demand for Bandwidth (November 2013) National Audit Office (NAO) Infrastructure Investment Report (November 2013) Office for National Statistics (ONS) Quarterly Update on Internet Access (November 2013) Cities Outlook 2014 (January 2014) intouch North West January March

4 Extra cash found to expand fibre in UK cities Over the next three years, the company is to invest a further 50 million in its commercial fibre broadband programme. The money will benefit more than 30 cities, helping to make highspeed broadband available to over 400,000 additional premises. We are spending in excess of 3 billion on deploying fibre broadband, and our open access fibre network already passes more than 18 million homes and businesses. That footprint is set to grow rapidly as various rural fibre programmes are delivered. UK fibre broadband availability currently stands at 73 per cent, when all networks are taken into account. The current Broadband Delivery UK programme, which receives financial support from both central and local government, is set to extend that coverage to around 90 per cent by late 2015 or early Mike Galvin, MD Network Investment at Openreach, said: Our fibre programme is going extremely well with our engineers connecting homes and businesses across the UK. Some city areas have proved challenging in the past but we are returning to those and will pass hundreds of thousands of additional premises with fibre. We are reaching vast swathes of rural Britain with our public sector partners but we will upgrade these city areas under our own steam. Businesses in cities already have access to ultra-fast speeds but fibre will give them greater choice. Our new investment will focus on three areas: enabling city cabinets that weren t part of our original commercial plans due to technical challenges or local planning restrictions deploying fibre to cabinets to serve multidwelling units such as apartment blocks laying further fibre including Fibre To The Premises technology to new build sites in cities. The UK is making strong progress, with more than five million premises already using fibre broadband across all networks. This high level of adoption puts the UK ahead of France, Germany, Italy and Spain, and it is set to close the gap on Japan and the US according to a recent report. That report also found the UK is ahead of its main European peers on various other measures, including average speeds, competitiveness of the market and pricing. BT s fibre network is open to all communications providers on an equivalent basis, ensuring businesses and consumers benefit from intense competition, a wide choice of suppliers and low prices. Openreach highlights the need for fibre in new developments Great progress is being made in deploying fibre broadband across the UK, with services now available to over 18 million premises. More are coming thanks to our 2.5 billion commercial investment programme and through 44 separate contracts with local authorities and developed administrations. By 2016, we expect that around 90 per cent of homes and businesses across the country will be able to access the technology. However, the investment programmes are not being delivered in a vacuum. With the economy growing in strength, the building sector is gradually regaining lost momentum, which means that both greenfield and brownfield sites are being reactivated, major refurbishments are moving forward and new sites are coming on stream too. It is therefore crucial that the provision of communications facilities such as broadband is considered. If not, we risk seeing new developments emerging that do not have the same connectivity as the surrounding areas. To help developers make informed decisions in this area that satisfy their commercial objectives while meeting the needs of future occupiers, our Openreach infrastructure business has produced a guide identifying the options available for various types of sites. In response to requests, this same document has been made available to a number of local authorities, in order to ensure that planning applications for any new developments within their area automatically include provision for services such as fibre broadband where appropriate. Copies of the developer guide can be downloaded at home/network/developingournetwork/ documentationandinformation/buildersguide/ downloads/developers_guide.pdf intouch North West January March

5 Engineers shine amid shocking weather Our engineers have been praised for battling appalling weather conditions this winter to deal with a massive increase in faults. As torrential rain, gales and severe floods engulfed much of the country, Openreach received one of its biggest-ever weekly intakes with many of the reported problems in already waterlogged areas. In a message to engineers across the country, Roddy Thomson, Openreach managing director for service delivery, said: Many people in the south and west of England are really struggling, and the Wessex region is really badly hit. The forecast is for more serious weather in the coming days and even weeks, but we ll be working hard to keep on top of this as far as we can. And, as it stands, we are on track for our highest completion level ever. We are doing a brilliant job keeping a busy work stack in check it could be double what it actually is without your effort, so a massive thanks to everyone. His message back in February came as weather conditions in the UK deteriorated further, with the Met Office issuing a red weather warning its most severe level. It said gusts up to 80mph and possibly 100mph were to be expected in the most exposed areas in west and northwest Wales, which could bring down trees and cause a loss of power supplies. Other parts of the UK were also being lashed by high winds and heavy rain. Thousands of engineers worked extra hours through overtime, while extra people were loaned to the south of England to handle the increased workload. Roddy said: It s going to take some serious grit and determination to get us back to more normal levels, but I know we ll get there. Engineers around the UK endured conditions similar to these in Sevington, Kent. Firm commits to connect youth with careers in telecoms The company is expecting to create around one thousand new apprenticeship and graduate jobs as a part of a major nationwide recruitment drive. Across the UK as a whole, we are casting our net for around 300 top science, technology and business graduates who want to build their careers in the IT and telecom sector with one of the country s leading investors in research and development. Some 730 apprenticeships will also be offered to UK school and college leavers in the areas of engineering, software design, IT support, finance and logistics. In addition, we have created a new digital media technology apprenticeship that will provide new recruits with experience and skills in web development, digital networks, digital TV and digital media distribution. Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, said: It s good news that BT are delivering even more highquality apprenticeships and graduate jobs. Hundreds more people will now be able to get the skills they need to get on and help support sustainable economic growth. Technology graduates and technical apprentices will be able to work on a range of cutting-edge projects, including the future of broadcasting and wireless technology, Big Data and the Internet of Things, as well as helping pioneer new developments in high-speed fibre communication networks. Mike Blackburn, Regional Director for the North West, said: This latest recruitment is great news for our region. It is another example of BT s commitment as one of the North West largest private sector employers and investors. Providing the opportunity for people to build lasting and rewarding careers - as well as our major multi million pound investments in sophisticated technology, such as fibre optic broadband - will play a vital role in the future success of the North West. We have also pledged to provide up to 1,500 vocational training and work experience placements for out-of-work youngsters over the next 18 months. As part of Movement to Work, a UK employer-led initiative, backed by the Prince s Trust and the government, we will offer 18 to 24-year-olds work placements of four to seven weeks. These will combine vocational training, employability skills and work experience and, where possible, be linked into our future recruitment plans. Other opportunities will be available around the UK, including Openreach engineer training plus finance, customer service and business development roles. intouch North West January March

6 Local businesses get chance to go super-fast for less Businesses in the North West are being urged to take advantage of the government s Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme to help reduce the cost of super-fast internet connections. The Broadband Delivery UK initiative provides city councils with additional budget to offer small and medium companies grants of up to 3,000 towards connection and construction charges for a range of services from suppliers, including BT Business. Manchester and Salford is one of 12 UK cities where the scheme is already available, the others being Belfast, Bristol, Coventry, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Derby, London, Newcastle, Newport and Portsmouth. A further 10 cities namely Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Cambridge, Derry/Londonderry, Leeds, Oxford, Perth and York are planning to join the scheme by the end of March. Once a business has checked they are eligible via their local city council, and understood the full terms and conditions of the programme, they need to complete an application form. Following an assessment by the city council, they will then receive a provisional offer regarding the amount of funding they can expect, and be asked to get quotes from two providers. Businesses applying must be a small or medium sized enterprise (SME) as defined by the European Commission. This means they employ between 1 and 249 staff and their annual turnover doesn t exceed approximately 40 million. Mike Blackburn, Regional Director, said: This exciting scheme is a vital step forward for small and medium firms in Manchester and Salford. Businesses can use the technology to boost their competitiveness, work more efficiently, attract new customers or strengthen relationships with existing customers. For further details about the scheme, and how BT Business can help, please visit County super-fast project passes major milestone More than half of Lancashire s homes and businesses are now able to access highspeed fibre broadband. The rapid progress of the Superfast Lancashire project means that the technology is available to 52 per cent of the county more than 350,000 premises when our commercial roll-out of fibre broadband is also taken into account. Engineers have also begun work on the next phase of the programme. Its completion will take the total number of properties able to connect to faster broadband as a direct result of the project to more than 39,000, with tens of thousands more to follow under subsequent phases. The ultimate aim is to reach 97 per cent of the county by the end of As part of the latest deployment, 10 communities beyond the reach of commercial fibre will have access to super-fast broadband for the first time. These include Earby, Kelbrook, Foulridge, Trawden, Wilpshire, Langho and Old Langho, Mellor, Hest Bank, Freckleton and Warton. Meanwhile, the network will be extended in a number of communities where the technology is already available, to around 1,200 premises in Bacup and a further 10,000 in Blackpool. To date, the project has completed work on over 130 new fibre broadband cabinets, with a further 100 built or in progress. Councillor Sean Serridge, Lancashire County Council s Champion for Digital Inclusion, said: This is a great achievement and shows we are well on the way to achieving our goal of providing 97 per cent of the county with super-fast broadband by the end of next year. Super-fast broadband is hugely important for the county both economically and socially. There can be few areas of modern life which are not touched in some way by broadband connectivity whether it s supporting how we work, how we learn, how we communicate with friends and family, or how we entertain ourselves. By the end of this year, around 130,000 homes and businesses are expected to be connected to fibre broadband. Throughout the project area, Openreach engineers are laying around 2,700 kilometres of optical fibre cable and installing a total of 700 new fibre broadband cabinets, and estimate they will complete over a million man hours planning and building the network. More information on the roll-out is available at intouch North West January March

7 Cheshire village celebrates Super Switch on Day In December 2013, the first fibre broadband cabinet to be funded by the Connecting Cheshire project was switched on in Holmes Chapel by community, BT and Connecting Cheshire representatives. As a result, around 300 homes and businesses in the village gained access to the high-speed technology. The switch-on was part of a national initiative, Super Switch on Day, which saw green fibre broadband cabinets in many parts of the country going live simultaneously to mark the progress of super-fast broadband partnerships with Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK). Holmes Chapel was just one of a number of towns and villages that, on that day, joined the 200,000 premises in mostly rural locations already enjoying access to faster fibre broadband speeds as a result of the BDUK programme. The national roll-out is accelerating, with many projects already ahead of schedule. In Cheshire, over 15,000 more homes and businesses will have access to highspeed fibre broadband in the coming months thanks to the first-phase deployment of Connecting Cheshire a partnership between BT and four Cheshire councils. The project builds on our own commercial fibre roll-out in the county so that 96 per cent of its premises will be covered by the end of Councillor David Brown, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council, on behalf of the Connecting Cheshire Partnership, said: High-speed access to the internet has never been more important whether you are a local business person wishing to build your company, a student taking advantage of on-line training and carrying out research or a householder making use of on-line shopping and entertainment. In today s rapidly-moving world, fast and sophisticated communications are absolutely vital. The additional fibre broadband coverage has also been enthusiastically welcomed by local businesses on the nearby business park. Among them is Morreys, an independent family-run hardware and DIY store that has been trading for over 150 years. Having only recently relocated from the high street to the business park, it is keen to move with the times and exploit the benefits of digital technology. Manager Andrew Maddock said: The arrival of fibre broadband will be the catalyst for us to really make the most of e-commerce and to reach more customers but retain the high standard of customer service that we have always offered. The fibre network will be open to all communications providers on an equal wholesale basis, meaning households and firms will benefit from a highly competitive market. From the left Steve Ranger, Chairman, Holmes Chapel Parish Council; Julian Cobley, Project Director, Connecting Cheshire; Mike Blackburn, BT North West Regional Director; Cllr David Brown, Deputy Leader Cheshire East Council; Cllr Les Gilbert, Dane Valley Ward; Lesley Kellett, BT Business Development Manager; and Daniel Hague, BT Senior Project Manager, Cheshire. intouch North West January March

8 Clutch of new jobs created in Liverpool The company has recently recruited 240 staff in Liverpool to support the growth of highspeed broadband services. Most are being employed as full-time customer service advisers, though there are some additional managerial roles. All of them are based at our Lancaster House offices in Old Hall Street. Mike Blackburn, BT Regional Director, said: Liverpool is a great city to do business in. It has excellent communications with the rest of the UK and further afield, and we have been impressed by the quality of the people we have recruited in the past. BT has an exciting future and we want Liverpool to be part of our growing success. Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson added: This is fantastic news and a real vote of confidence in Liverpool by BT. I am absolutely delighted that they have chosen Liverpool and it builds on our already strong partnership with the company. After undergoing thorough training, the first advisers are now at work supporting customers. Recruitment will continue during 2014 and is expected to be completed by the autumn. Apprentices leading Lancashire into super-fast future Ten apprentices have been recruited by Openreach specifically to work on the Superfast Lancashire partnership between BT and Lancashire County Council that will bring high-speed fibre broadband to 97 per cent of the county by the end of The eight young men and two young women were all attracted by the idea of learning and earning on the job, while working towards a recognised qualification: a BTECH NVQ Level 3 in ICT. As well as undergoing formal training to learn how to design and plan the new fibre network, over the next few months they will be buddying up with engineers including teams who install the underground network as well as telephone poles and other colleagues from around the company. Perhaps not surprisingly, the apprentices are all avid internet users, and therefore extremely excited about joining the team that is helping to bring high-speed fibre broadband to nearly every corner of Lancashire. In fact, several of them are already enjoying the technology at home. One is 19-year-old Joe Fenerty. He said: I ve had fibre broadband at home for about six months now and the difference is amazing. I could hardly do anything online before, but now it s great for interactive online gaming, as well as things like Twitter and Facebook, and watching things like BT Sport. The apprentices (pictured) will be based in Preston, which is also home to four of them. Councillor Sean Serridge, Lancashire County Council s Champion for Digital Inclusion, said: It s great to see these first ten apprentices, specifically recruited to work on the Superfast Lancashire project, now in post. One of the key aims of the project has always been to boost local businesses and create jobs, so I m really pleased to see these young people, who come from across Lancashire, both contributing to the project and benefiting so directly from it. intouch North West January March

9 BT proud to be named official partner of IFB The International Festival for Business (IFB), a global showcase for great British industry, has confirmed the company as its first official partner. Taking place in Liverpool over 50 days in June and July, and set to attract more than 250,000 people, the IFB will be the biggest business event of 2014 and comprise over 100 world-class events and exhibitions. It will form a central part of the UK government s goal of rebalancing the economy and doubling British exports by One of the highlights will be the BT Global City Leaders Summit, bringing together around 150 mayors and city leaders from around the world. Over two days, they will discuss how sustainable economic growth can be generated by effective relationships between the public and private sectors and the role of communications technology as a catalyst for success. The company s technology helps businesses around the world every day. It provides communications services to around one million small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK and to over 7,000 corporate and public sector organisations in over 170 other countries. We are also investing in the UK s future through our 2.5 billion fibre broadband roll-out; our significant investment in research and development ( 544 million in 2012/13); and our hiring of around 600 apprentices in the current financial year. We will provide valuable support and investment to the IFB, as well as industry experts and technology. We will also create the opportunity for a number of our small business customers to attend the festival. The IFB will focus on key areas of commerce that are transforming the business landscape of Britain and beyond, including manufacturing, science and technology; maritime, logistics and energy; knowledge, professional and financial services; higher and further education and research; low carbon and renewables; cities, enterprise and urban business; knowledge, creative and digital and, of course, the multi-million pound business of sport. Max Steinberg CBE, Chairman of IFB2014, said: BT is one of Britain s best-known businesses and is an ideal partner for IFB. As a supporter of Great British events, including the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and last year s International Festival for Business, BT has helped consolidate Britain s position on the global stage and is playing an important role in driving the economic growth of our country. Partnership with Lancashire County Council enters new era Our strategic partnership with Lancashire County Council is to transform after the company and the county council s Cabinet agreed changes to support improvements in local services. Following a strategic review, it has been decided that a number of services ranging from welfare rights to human resources will return to being delivered in-house by the council. Meanwhile, our role will focus on improving the efficiency and quality of ICT, revenue, benefits and payroll services. Both the company and the council agree that the revised arrangement will help deliver further efficiencies, given the changing needs of the council. The changes mean One Connect Limited (OCL), the jointly-owned company created when the partnership formed, will become a wholly-owned BT company and renamed BT Lancashire Services Limited. Hundreds of county council staff currently seconded to One Connect will return to the council, with the remainder continuing their secondments as part of the newly slimmeddown partnership. The new arrangements will take effect from 31 March Lancashire County Council Interim Chief Executive Jo Turton said: BT is an important partner of the county council s, not just through the strategic partnership but also in supporting us on several key initiatives including the Superfast Lancashire broadband programme and the creation of hundreds of new BT jobs in Accrington. Repositioning the partnership with BT will allow us to focus on securing access to BT s technologies and skills that otherwise wouldn t be available to a local council. Particularly given the huge funding pressures we re facing, this sort of support really can save money behind the scenes while helping to protect services on the frontline. As the company will be wholly-owned by BT, the partnership governance arrangements will no longer involve a joint board of directors. Instead, senior representatives from both organisations will work together to regularly review progress and identify new opportunities to improve local services. Tony Chanmugam, Chairman of OCL and BT Group CFO, said: This is a key milestone in our relationship with Lancashire County Council. As a key partner to the council BT will continually work with the council to agree how we can adapt the services we provide to help the council better serve the citizens of Lancashire. This is the sign of a true partnership and we look forward to our relationship going from strength to strength during this next phase. intouch North West January March

10 Cheshire firms chase investment opportunities in capital In January, businesses across Cheshire and Warrington attended a high-profile investment event in London, hosted by His Grace the Duke of Westminster. Organised by Cheshire & Warrington Enterprise Partnership and Marketing Cheshire, the event was designed to introduce potential investors to companies in the sub-region and strengthen relationships for the future. Businesses from the automotive, bioscience, chemicals and energy sectors shared their aspirations with London-based venture capitalists, gaining encouraging interest in their expansion plans. Investors and sector intermediaries were joined by the three council leaders for Cheshire and Warrington, Cheshire business leaders and representatives from some of the sub-region s most successful businesses. Also in attendance was Sajid Javid MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, who addressed guests by setting the scene for the UK economy in He said: The government is doing everything it can to create the conditions for further growth. We are removing the regulatory and tax burdens on businesses, making it easier for them to access funding and investing in infrastructure and skills. And I hope that these efforts empower the people of Cheshire and Warrington to drive growth at a local level and play their part in the recovery. Christine Gaskell, Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Enterprise Partnership, added: The automotive, bioscience, chemicals and energy sectors make a considerable contribution to our economy in Cheshire and it is our responsibility to ensure that businesses in these sectors have the opportunity to grow and expand in the future. We hope that London-based investors have seen the true investment potential of Cheshire and Warrington and we look forward to hearing how their relationships develop with businesses across the sub-region. The event was supported by BT, which is in the process of rolling out high-speed fibre broadband to more than 96 per cent of businesses in Cheshire and Warrington further enhancing the sub-region s suitability for investment. His Grace the Duke of Westminster, Minister Sajid Javid (Financial Secretary to the Treasury), Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Partnership Christine Gaskell, Bill Murphy, Cllr Michael Jones Leader of Cheshire East Council BT volunteer helps keep Lytham St Annes lifeboats afloat The company has awarded a lifeboat station in Lytham St Annes a grant of 500 to enable it to continue its work in the local community. The gift was made to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution through our employee recognition scheme, the BT People Awards. These awards acknowledge our volunteering champions, who selflessly offer large amounts of their time and skills to their local communities. Mike Blackburn, BT Regional Director, said: Many BT people throughout our region volunteer their time, expertise and enthusiasm to support their local community. The BT People Awards are a great recognition of this commitment and a chance for BT to support local organisations, groups, clubs and charities with what are often badly-needed funds. BT has a long history of supporting local communities through our volunteering programme which we are very proud of. The benefits of volunteering for BT and society as a whole are far-reaching and it is especially important that BT people are taking up the opportunity to use and develop their skills in this way. Our volunteers are a vital part of our goal working towards a better future for all. One hundred and seventy-three applications were received from BT people worldwide. They were made on behalf of organisations ranging from a steam train museum to a cat rescue centre to a trampolining club, illustrating the wide variety of activities our people are involved with. For more information, and a complete list of the latest award recipients, please visit intouch North West January March