Items like house phones and telephone boxes are a thing of the past – you’d be hard-pressed to think of the last time you had to step into one of the nation’s many telephone boxes to make a call, which is why BT have announced their new Adopt a Kiosk programme.
80-plus phone boxes in Yorkshire are being put up for adoption to celebrate turning 100 and you can acquire one for just £1 – and it is not much you can buy for a quid these days. The programme aims to make use of the quintessential British phone boxes and to give them a new lease on life.
The idea is to adopt a phonebox, and change them into other more creative things such as book exchanges, art exhibitions or museums.
The scheme has been running since 2007 and over 400 phone boxes in Yorkshire alone have been transformed.
Recognised local authorities, community or parish councils, registered charities and private landowners who have a telephone box can all adopt these iconic British structures and come up with a new use for them. You can check them out and see what is in your area here.
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Michael Smy, Head of Street at BT, said: “With the vast majority of people now using mobile phones, and significant improvements to mobile coverage across the UK, we’ve continued to see a big drop in the number of calls made from payphones.
“That’s why we’re continuing to review our payphones estate, making sure we’re prioritising the removal of those not being used, in line with Ofcom’s latest guidance.
“With the iconic red kiosk about to turn 100, it’s a great opportunity to remind communities that would still like to retain their local kiosk to take it on for just £1 through our Adopt a Kiosk scheme.
“We’ve already seen some great kiosk conversions across the UK that have become valuable community assets.”
As part of the scheme BT will continue to provide electricity (if already in place) to power the light for adopted phone boxes, free of charge.
If you’d like to find out more information on how to apply to Adopt a Kiosk, visit the the website here.
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