Bridging the digital divide: How B4RN and Triodos Bank are empowering rural communities

Without reliable broadband, everyday tasks - whether running a business, accessing healthcare or simply keeping in touch with family - become increasingly challenging, leaving rural residents at risk of being left behind as the world moves forward.

But thanks to innovative organisations like Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN, pronounced "barn"), the story is starting to change.

With help from Triodos Bank lending, B4RN is transforming life in some of the UK’s most remote regions by providing affordable, high-speed broadband that keeps community shops open, phones ringing, and daily life running smoothly. Their work ensures that digital connectivity is not a privilege reserved for urban centres, but a right shared by all no matter how rural their postcode.

Boosting broadband across the country

This latest funding builds on a longstanding relationship between Triodos Bank and B4RN. In 2019, the bank’s corporate finance team structured and raised a £3.3 million bond for B4RN, which helped the organisation scale its network and connect thousands of rural homes and businesses.

“Triodos Bank’s continued support is instrumental in helping us reach more communities. With this new funding, we can accelerate our rollout in the North East and ensure that even the most remote areas have access to world-class digital infrastructure,” Tom Rigg, chief executive of B4RN. 

Founded by a passionate group of volunteers in 2011, B4RN has already brought some of the UK’s fastest fibre optic broadband connections to over 15,000 rural homes, businesses, and schools across the Northwest of England and East Anglia.

B4RN's goal isn’t just to increase connectivity, the organisation is committed to delivering the fastest speeds available. Today, B4RN is deploying multi-gigabit technology, with speeds from one gigabit per second all the way up to ten gigabits per second for seamless streaming and uninterrupted connections. 

But speed and efficiency aren’t the only things that set B4RN apart. As a registered community benefit society, B4RN’s profits are reinvested back into the community in meaningful ways, such as providing free internet access to primary schools within its network. What’s more, B4RN is safeguarded from commercial buyouts, ensuring its mission remains firmly rooted in community benefit.  

Powering up a local community shop

Ruth Anderson, a B4RN customer, has experienced the benefits of B4RN connectivity. Her community shop in Kirkoswald, Cumbria, is now the recipient of reliable internet connection.

“No more dropouts, no more restarting the till and I can now access the shop email account from home,” said Ruth.

Thanks to the shop’s status as a community benefit society, they have free B4RN connection, which means they are no longer paying for slow, unreliable internet, but are saving money and providing a stable service to its customers.

“Retailing is challenging, so getting a free B4RN connection truly made a difference for our community shop. B4RN is excellent. No minuses, no plusses – just brilliant,” explained Ruth. She added that the whole process was seamless: giving the shop, already a vital community asset, the connectivity it needs to stay future-proof.

From isolation to innovation

The installation of a single connection can have a profound and far-reaching impact, transforming not only the daily life of the individual who receives reliable broadband, but also enriching the lives of those around them.

“B4RN's work not only bridges the digital divide but also strengthens rural economies and social cohesion,” said Dinkar Suri, senior relationship manager at Triodos Bank UK. "This new loan facility reflects our confidence in their model and our shared commitment to inclusive, sustainable development that helps people thrive.”

Triodos Bank is proud to support B4RN's goal to connect even more people and ensure that rural communities have the digital foundation they need to thrive in a modern, connected world.