August 2025
Our erstwhile chairman and one of the founder members of the Abthorpe Broadband Association (in 2003), Eric, has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the new year 2024 King's honours for service to the community. Eric says that whereas other awards he received in the past are directly associated with and on behalf of the teams of volunteers, this award is more personal. He is humbled by the recognition of the communities and of course, the King, of the part he has played in delivering superfast and gigabit fibre broadband services to the Tove Valley businesses and residents. You can read more about the history of ABbA and Tove Valley Broadband here.
postscript by Eric: I am very grateful for the huge support for this award I have received from many many people directly, via email and social media. It is fabulous that the communities bask in the glory of this award alongside myself. Cheers, everybody!
We are coming to the end of our fibre-to-the-premises projects for the core area having completed more than 500 connections, with about 20 to go. These connections cover the villages of Abthorpe, Astwell, Bradden, Lois Weedon, Weston, Wappenham, Slapton and Woodend which form our communities core area. We deliver service to over 80% of the properties therein. We have also upgraded the wireless access points in Helmdon with a direct fibre connection so that their capacity is greatly increased. In all, there are more than 710 properties connected to the Tove Valley Broadband service. 2025 will see the hamlet of Plumpton connected to fibre and our redundant loop connections through Woodend completed. Abthorpe Broadband Association volunteers manage this work and use local contractors where at all possible.
2025 will also see the hamlet of Falcutt, near Helmdon, connected to fibre with the enthusiasm of the locals there primed to help lay the final meters of cable too their properties.
Our Annual Members' meeeting was held at Abthorpe Old School on Tuesday May 20th 2025. This meeting was well attended with over 30 members present.