Communities across the county are being encouraged to adopt a phone box, and transform it into something lifesaving.

BT has announced that 183 of its iconic red phone boxes across the North West of England are up for grabs.

And with a total of 45 of these being located in Cumbria, there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to get involved.

Since 2008, 451 phone boxes across the region have been taken on my communities – for just £1 each through the communication company’s Adopt a Kiosk programme.

The out-of-use phone boxes have been transformed into a range of hubs, including mini history museums, art galleries, book exchanges, and – most importantly – defibrillator units.

Martin Fagan, national secretary for the Community Heartbeat Trust charity – which installs defibrillators across the nation – said: “BT’s phone box kiosks are iconic British structures, and repurposing for this life saving use has given them a new lease of life.

“To date, we have converted about 800 ourselves, with another 200 in the pipeline.

“Placing the equipment in the heart of a community is important to save on time. Kiosks are historically at the centre of the community, and thus great locations for defibrillators.”

There are currently 23 phone boxes up for grabs in Eden, four in Copeland and two in Allerdale, with a further 16 available in South Lakeland and Barrow.

They are located up and down each borough, including Holmrook, Egremont Ennerdale and Broughton-in-Furness in Copeland, Keswick in Allerdale, and Kirkby Stephen, Penrith and Appleby in Eden.

And many communities across north and west Cumbria have already taken advantage of the scheme, with defibrillators at St Bees, Loweswater, Carlisle, and more.

Sarah Walker, BT Enterprise unit director for the North of England, said: “With most people now using mobile phones, it’s led to a huge drop in the number of calls made from payphones. At the same time, mobile coverage has improved significantly in recent years due to investment in masts, particularly in rural areas.

“We’re currently rationalising our payphone estate to make it fit for the future, and The Adopt a Kiosk scheme makes it possible for local communities in the North West to retain their local phone box, with a refreshed purpose for the community.

“Thousands of communities have already come up with a fantastic array of ideas to re-use their beloved local phone box. Applying is quick and easy and we’re always happy to speak to communities about adopting our phone boxes.”

A spokesperson for BT added that all adoption requests will be considered by BT, but there may be occasional reasons why a particular box may not be able to be available, for example, if it is required to be retained by BT for another purpose.

To find out more, including details on how your community can get involved, visit the BT website, at business.bt.com/campaigns/communities/adopt-a-kiosk.