Red phone boxes up for adoption ... at just £1 each

With 180 traditional red boxes available to be adopted across Northern Ireland, BT is encouraging community groups to get creative and give a new lease of life to facilities that often have little or no usage.

BT will continue to cover the electricity to the adopted kiosks, which can be turned into any new ventures such as housings for defibrillators, mini-libraries, coffee shops, miniature art museums, sweet shops and information centres.

Paul Murnaghan, BT’s Enterprise division director in Northern Ireland, said the ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme offered “endless opportunities”.

He added: “It is simple to apply and individual assessments will take place to confirm if the adoption is possible and whether there is availability in a specific area.

“Since we launched the scheme in other parts of the UK, more than 5,500 communities have seized the chance to do something great with their local phone box.”

Communities can adopt a kiosk in Northern Ireland if they are a recognised local authority, such as a district or borough council, a parish, or town hall.

Boxes can also be adopted by registered charities or by individuals who have a payphone on their own land.

For further details on how to apply for the ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme, log on to www.bt.com/adopt where application forms and information can be found.