Mickleton Cinema Club, launched 30 years ago with a showing of mega-hot movie Titanic, is enjoying a big screen boost thanks to the new full-fibre ultrafast broadband brought to the village by GoFibre and UK Government funding. The village of Mickleton is now reaping the benefits of getting connected to much faster broadband speeds, marking a significant leap forward in digital connectivity for the area. This highly anticipated upgrade is part of the Government’s Project Gigabit initiative, which aims to rollout fast, reliable broadband across the UK, targeting hard-to-reach homes and businesses that would otherwise miss out.
The neighbourhood hub, which hosts the cinema club every second Friday at Mickleton village hall, has experienced significant improvements since upgrading to full fibre. With much faster internet speeds and reliability, the hall can now successfully host high-quality movie nights for up to 50 attendees twice a month. These enhancements are expected to unite the community, and it’s hoped, tempt along more villagers, who otherwise would have to travel 25 miles to Richmond or Darlington for a movie night. The faster broadband means cinema club patrons can now stream a much wider range of films, and enjoy them with a much better quality hi-definition visual experience, right on their doorstep.
The benefits of having a village cinema cross the generations. Club regular and Mickleton resident Sue Kelly (67) has introduced her granddaughter Ivy Swanston (13) to the club. Sue said, “The cinema club is brilliant, it’s a fantastic community asset. We’d have to go into Darlington, a 40-minute round trip, if we didn’t have this wonderful facility right here. We even stop the film halfway through, for a cup of tea and a chat – you don’t get that at most cinemas.”
Since being awarded the Project Gigabit contract for the area in Autumn 2022, GoFibre has provided nearly 4,000 residents and local businesses with access to a faster, more reliable internet service. Durham Dales Holiday Cottages, Lightning Signs Printing and Mickleton Service Station are a few of the many businesses benefiting from improved connectivity through the contract, which is supported locally by Durham County Council.
David Hutchinson, Chairman of Mickleton Village Hall and Owner of Durham Dales Holiday Cottages, Lightning Signs
Printing and Mickleton Service Station, said: “The impact of GoFibre’s ultrafast broadband on our community has been nothing short of transformative. As a small business owner, poor broadband was horrendous and made it difficult to run operations efficiently. Thanks to GoFibre and the UK Government, I now have reliable and fast internet connections, which have significantly improved the operational efficiency of my businesses and enhanced customer satisfaction.
“Our village hall has also become a vibrant hub, hosting movie nights that bring residents together. This much-needed entertainment option is especially important for our elderly members, who previously had to travel long distances for such activities. We are excited to see what else it brings and look forward to seeing the benefits unfold for everyone in Mickleton.”
This broadband advancement is driving economic growth in the region, empowering local businesses to optimise digital operations and efficiency. For businesses like Durham Dales Holiday Cottages, customer satisfaction is paramount. Full fibre broadband now provides visitors with reliable connections, significantly improving their experience. This upgrade has also enabled the team to update their website listings, showcasing Durham Dales Holiday Cottages as a desirable destination, thereby boosting bookings.
Cllr Susan McDonnell, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for digital, customer services and procurement, said: “We work closely with GoFibre to help deliver the Project Gigabit contract, providing support for community engagement, data anomalies and social value commitments.
“It’s great to have played a part in making fibre broadband available to residents, businesses and community organisations at Mickleton, and this is a wonderful example of the sorts of benefits fast and reliable connectivity can provide.
“Events like the movie nights are great for the local community, particularly elderly residents, as they reduce the chances of social isolation; and can also benefit the environment by cutting car journeys and therefore carbon emissions.”
Sir Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Data Protection and Telecoms, said: “Few of us think about our broadband speed until the dreaded buffering sign appears on our screens, but we need digital infrastructure that is fit for today, allowing several members of a family to stream at the same time, helping public services work more efficiently and enabling businesses to grow. Teesdale is just one of the examples of how reliable connectivity can bring residents together to enjoy the cinema and bolster the local arts and culture sector.
“I am so pleased fibre broadband has arrived in Mickleton at such a great time of the year, during a summer packed with international sports events. Now everyone will be able to tune into the Olympics with no buffering hiccups.”
Neil Conaghan, Chief Executive Officer, GoFibre, said: “We are thrilled to see the benefits that our full fibre broadband is bringing to Mickleton. This technology will have a lasting, positive impact on the lives of the residents, from enhancing local business operations and boosting economic growth to improving social inclusion and community engagement.
“By closing the digital divide, we are equipping our rural economy for the future, ensuring that hard-to-reach communities like Mickleton can thrive in the digital age. We look forward to continuing our efforts and seeing even more positive changes unfold.”
GoFibre’s full-fibre broadband is now live in several areas across Teesdale, including Barnard Castle, Mickleton, West Auckland, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Eggleston, ushering in a new era of digital connectivity for these communities.
In autumn 2022, the independent broadband provider was awarded two multi-million-pound contracts under the UK Government’s Project Gigabit for Durham-Teesdale and North Northumberland. Project Gigabit is the UK government’s programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband.
The fast, reliable connections delivered by Project Gigabit will benefit mostly rural and remote communities across the UK. Find out more on the BDUK website
Residents and businesses can buy now or register for updates in the area by visiting GoFibre’s website.
