The Colne Valley Fibre project is delivering a workshop/seminar event as a key element of the forthcoming annual conference of the Marsden & Slaithwaite Renaissance programme on November 21 in Marsden.

Participants will have the opportunity to get up to speed with the recent history of the development of next generation broadband in the UK and more widely, learn why this technology is so important to the future of the Colne Valley and other rural areas, and participate in the development of a strategy to create a community owned network for Marsden and Slaithwaite.

• Find out why BT, Virgin and others are extremely unlikely to deliver a solution any time soon, leaving the Colne Valley in the slow lane.
• Learn about some of the key benefits of next generation broadband for residents, for business and for our environment.
• Understand why it is important for our community to avoid being left behind, while nearby centres like Leeds and Manchester move into the internet fast lane.
• Get involved in the project to raise awareness of the issues, and the potential to create our own solution that would secure jobs and prosperity locally and bring major social and environmental benefits as well.

The event is free to attend, and we hope that you will take the time to come along, find out more, and get involved.

The conference as a whole runs from 10am until 3 pm at the Junior School on Manchester Road in Marsden, and our session kicks off at 1.30pm. Why not come along for the whole day and learn about the new proposals to enhance the village centres of both Marsden and Slaithwaite that have been worked up following a major public consultation. More details are at the Marsden and Slaithwaite Renaissance website.