B4RN - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Director
• Director, Chris Carr

Director, Chris Carr, is a Yorkshireman by birth and studied law at Oxford. He was Principal of St Martin's College in Lancaster for ten years and the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Cumbria before retiring in 2009. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire. Chris lives in Aughton and with Hilary championed the drive to bring B4RN to the village. Chris remains active in digging in the B4RN network beyond the boundaries of Aughton and joined the Management Committee of B4RN early in 2015.

Job Titles:

• Author

Job Titles:

• Director

Ivan Sedgwick is a native of Hampshire but married a Lancastrian: they have had a base in Gressingham since 1991 and now live here full time, having previously worked in London and New York. He helped connect the dots to get B4RN through their and their neighbours' land, and to their own properties. He is involved in small-company finance as well as serving as a trustee for a number of charities. He joined the B4RN board in 2022.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Member of the Senior Management Team

Michael grew up in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire and read engineering in Cambridge. His early career was in the army, where as an officer he served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and then later the Royal Dragoon Guards. He undertook tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. During his post-military career he has managed engineering projects for the Oil and Gas sector, and worked as a specialist consult with a focus on operational improvement and communications. Michael started work with B4RN in February 2021.

Job Titles:

• Company Secretary
• Director
• Visiting Professor of HRD

She has worked with a wide portfolio of organisations in the UK, Central Europe, CIS and the USA, coordinating and collaborating in management development, research and teaching initiatives. She is a Chartered Psychologist, and is a Fellow of the CIPD and the RSA. She is actively involved in the local community and is Chair of Governors of Cawthorne's Endowed School, Abbeystead, and a Trustee of the Cawthorne Educational Foundation. She is also a Director of L&K Group Ltd. which comprises a group of companies that serve the agricultural communities in the North West. She is a founding member of B4RN, and is one of the first directors as well as being on the management team. Monica also started the ‘Friends of B4RN' charity. She sees the amazing effect that B4RN has upon isolated rural communities and is in awe of such a large co-operative volunteer effort that is changing people's lives.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Director, Peter Hearne

Director, Peter Hearne, was born and raised locally and has spent most of his adult life in and around the Lune Valley. Convinced that the B4RN venture would be of massive benefit to the community, he was an early investor and has been an enthusiastic supporter of the B4RN project from the beginning. Originally qualifying as a Works Manager specialising in Production Planning and Control, Peter spent much of his early career in Sales and Marketing roles for large multi-nationals before building his own technology business from the early 1980s onwards. His on-going business interests reflect his long-term involvement with the built environment, with a special interest in historic listed buildings. Formerly Chair of Governors of Beaumont College and a Director and Treasurer of North Lancashire Citizens Advice, Peter has been actively involved in community and voluntary work for over thirty years. In all, Peter has close to 50 years' experience in the development and management of organisations in both the commercial and charitable sectors, experience that he now brings to the board of B4RN.

Job Titles:

• Keasden Head, Which Runs Educational and Wellbeing Visits

Sheila Mason, Farmer at Keasden Head, which runs educational and wellbeing visits.

Job Titles:

• COO
• Member of the Senior Management Team

Tom Rigg is the friendly and highly experienced Chief Operating Officer of B4RN, a multi-award-winning community-led ISP based in Lancashire, and he is responsible for the digital infrastructure and supporting the growing customer base. Under his leadership, Broadband for the Rural North Ltd is building a reliable and future-proof 'full fibre' broadband network, delivering to those hardest to reach. B4RN has received numerous awards for its innovative approach to community broadband provision, including the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) award for Best Rural ISP in 2021 and 2022 & Connected Britain Broadband Provider of the Year 2022. With over 15 years of telecommunications experience, Tom has been instrumental in developing and delivering broadband services across the North. As COO, Tom oversees the day-to-day operations of B4RN, including network operations, planning and development, service delivery, and customer support. He also plays a crucial role in the company's strategic planning and is actively involved in building partnerships with other organisations to expand the reach of B4RN's network. Tom is also a proud husband and father of two children. He initially joined B4RN as a volunteer and became a part of the team in 2015 before working his way up to his current role. Tom passionately advocates for the transformative power of high-speed broadband and the importance of providing equal access to digital services for all. He firmly believes that community-led broadband initiatives, such as B4RN, can help bridge the digital divide and bring the benefits of the digital age to rural areas. If you have any questions about B4RN or want to chat about broadband, Tom is always happy to help!