BT offers community the chance to adopt iconic red phone boxes for £1

BT has announced that 45 of its kiosks are now up for grabs across Northern Ireland, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the first red phone box.

Architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed the first incarnation of the famous phone box for a competition in 1924. In recent years, however, with 98 per cent of the adult population now using a mobile phone, and significant improvements to mobile coverage, there has been a huge decline in the usage of payphones across the UK.

There are now around 1,100 remaining working payphones across Northern Ireland, around 150 of which are in traditional red kiosks.

BT is now urging communities across Northern Ireland to continue to take advantage of its kiosk adoption scheme to help transform its underused red phone boxes into other purposes.

Since BT introduced its Adopt a Kiosk programme, around 30 phone boxes have already been taken on by communities in Northern Ireland for just £1 each.

Across the UK, more than 7,200 have been adopted so far. The kiosks can be adopted by registered charities, community councils and local authorities. Redundant phone boxes have been adopted and turned into a range of facilities over the years, from defibrillator units and libraries, to mini art galleries and local museums.

BT is continuing to review its remaining estate of payphones, removing those that are no longer being used, in line with rules set out by Ofcom.

Communities can adopt a kiosk if they are a recognised public body. Boxes can also be adopted by registered charities or by individuals who have a payphone on their own land. BT will continue to provide electricity (if already in place) to power the light for adopted phone boxes, free of charge. For further information go to www.bt.com/adopt

Where are the boxes located?

There are currently phone boxes available to adopt in all of Northern Ireland’s 11 local council areas, as follows:

Antrim & Newtownabbey – 1 box

Ards & North Down – 1 box

Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon – four boxes

Belfast – three boxes

Causeway Coast & Glens – six boxes

Derry & Strabane – three boxes

Fermanagh & Omagh – five boxes

Lisburn & Castlereagh – four boxes

Mid & East Antrim – seven boxes

Mid-Ulster – six boxes

Newry, Mourne & Down – five boxes

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.”