Behind F4RN is a team of people who have dedicated a huge amount of time and effort to get the project off the ground. We are local people who care deeply about the lack of quality broadband in our communities and with the determination to do something about it.
Between us there is a range of skills spanning everything from network design, engineering, IT, community engagement, marketing, management and business development.
Below are short biographies of the main people who form the management committee.
There are many other people who offer very valuable specialist advice and contribute their time and effort and for whose input we are very grateful.
Dr Chris Horne – Chair
Chris is a Chartered Electrical Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
He an independent consultant working with a number of start-ups and established businesses, developing products for renewable electricity generation, heating and electric vehicle charging.
It was Chris’s energy drawing up plans for routes and equipment, getting approvals from public bodies, and pushing along all the physical activities that were needed when the network was first built that has made the F4RN network so extensive and successful.
Lee Farrar – Director
Lee is EMEA Sales & Commercial Director for Wilson Golf within Amer Sports Group PLC and since year 2000 Lee has been working in the Golf industry.
Lee moved to Fiskerton in 2009 with his wife Sam and as a technically minded person with a great eye for detail, he enthusiastically promoted fibre broadband as a community project.
Patrick Cook – Director
Patrick is a 24-year-old who has lived in the village for all of his memorable adult life. He first became involved with F4RN through his passion for competitive online gaming, where a reliable, high-performance connection wasn’t just useful, it was essential.
Experiencing first-hand how limiting poor connectivity could be inspired him to support the development of better services for the village. He takes pride in seeing how F4RN has grown into a vital resource that strengthens everyday life for residents, just as it once strengthened his own connection to the wider world.
Gez Major – F4RN Company Secretary
Gez worked in Secondary Education for over 30 years teaching Mathematics and running a department. The majority of his time was spent working in difficult schools where students were challenging but required guidance, support and encouragement.
Gez moved to Fiskerton in 2004, and is a strong believer in community projects and bringing together skills and knowledge of those that live locally. Gez is always on the move: digging channels for ducts, installing fibre, helping customers get to grips with the new technology.
Paul Cook
Paul has worked in the IT & Communications industry since 1996, specialising in Health IT. He moved into the village in 2004 and has been closely involved with F4RN since its inception. His wife Alyson works at Bleasby school, where both his children attended, before they moved to the Minster school.
Paul has been a home worker since 1997, so the woeful BT broadband speeds available before F4RN fired him up to get involved in bringing about change. It has been a source of great pride for him that the F4RN service has developed into a true asset for our community.
Dr Paul Newton
Paul has degrees in Natural Sciences and worked for 32 years in research and product manufacturing with Boots the Chemist in Nottingham before moving with Janet and family to Morton in 2011. Being keen on DIY, Paul joined the F4RN community project about 10 years ago and has been involved with its growing success since then.
Mike Armstrong
Mike and his wife Barbara have lived in Fiskerton for around 25 years. Mike has very limited technical knowledge but he has learnt to dig and fill in trenches under the guidance of more experienced members. His grandchildren are eternally grateful for the superfast broadband facility afforded to them when they visit.
Ed Hammond
Ed completed a degree in agriculture at Harper Adams University in 2004 and went on to do an HND in agriculture engineering, then he completed a Worshipful Company of farm management qualification and became a member of the Worshipful Company thereafter.
The family have farmed in the village since 1967 and Ed has lived in Morton and Fiskerton most of his life. He regards it a privilege to be part of the community. When the opportunity came to be part of the F4RN project to help improve broadband for the community and his family’s business, he was happy to offer what they could as a family towards a faster future.
Steve Lewis-Evans
Steve joined the RAF in 1972 as an electronics technician and has worked on multiple systems. His first computer experience was a Ferranti Argos 100 in 1976. He later went on to work on mainframe and windows systems starting with Windows 3.1. His last tour was networks manager at a software development facility. Steve left the RAF in 1998 and worked for IBM doing large scale installations, these included a world-wide upgrade for ICI and several UK defence projects. Steve moved to Fiskerton in 2021 when he retired.
Roger Underwood
Roger is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He has worked in a variety of sectors including utilities, telecoms and software simulation.
Roger moved with his wife Nicola to Fiskerton in 2025. As a hybrid worker, a reliable, resilient and fast connection is imperative to him when working from home. F4RN offers this through great technology backed up with great local and responsive support. Having been a past customer over the years of two of the biggest players, this combination is truly appreciated, and a significant reason why Roger became a volunteer.
We’re always pleased to have new volunteers! if you would like to join the committee or want to help us build, operate and administer the broadband network then please get in touch.
We would love to welcome you to the team!
