Back to News
Welcome to the December edition of our Hyperfast GB Newsletter where you will find the latest updates on our full fibre rollout plans to rural Cumbria through Project Gigabit!
The UK government’s investment is revolutionising connectivity in rural areas by extending gigabit-capable full fibre broadband infrastructure to homes and businesses which don’t have access to meaningful broadband services and we are delighted with the progress of work throughout rural Cumbria though the UK government’s Project Gigabit!
Hub Coordinators
Hyperfast GB works with members of the community who volunteer to be hub coordinators for their area at either parish level or for a cluster of parishes. These individuals join us for regular update meetings, which are mostly held online. We aim to hold four update meetings per year, with one to be held in person at our base at Newton Rigg in Penrith. Hub coordinators are in regular contact with the Hyperfast GB stakeholder team, which is specifically helpful if local knowledge is needed during the build phase of the network. If you know someone in your area who is a keen advocate for rural broadband then do please encourage them to get in touch via our contact form.
Agri Expo Report
Neil Northman and Libby Bateman from the Hyperfast GB Stakeholder Team took a stall to Borderway Agri Expo in Carlisle on Friday 27th October to inform farmers and rural businesses about the Hyperfast GB project, when they are likely to receive a connection and the benefits of full-fibre broadband. The event was a huge success with more than 80 contacts made with visitors to the event.
Parish Council Engagement
Parish Councils will receive an invitation to join our community meetings, which we aim to hold six months ahead of when we expect to be building in your area. However, if a specific issue arises within a parish, then we would welcome direct correspondence with your parish clerk.
Future Events
We plan to hold community information events in Warwick Bridge, Gilsland, Caldbeck and Flookburgh early in the new year. Connectable residents in these areas will receive an invitation to attend their local meeting via post to their home address.
We will be attending St Bees Christmas Fair at St Bees Priory on the 10th December from 2pm – 5pm. and Hopes of Wigton Auction Mart on Sunday 3rd December.
Supporting Rural Communities
We are proud to be supporting rural communities with grants towards community projects. To date we have helped a small rural school purchase new tables, supported a community event and helped a village hall with its renovation project.
Please get in touch if you have a community project which would benefit from some financial support.
Contact Form
The Hyperfast GB website now has an online enquiry form for residents to contact us to find out more about when their property will be connected to the full fibre network.
Social Values Update
As part of the BDUK contract, Fibrus has an obligation to work fairly with suppliers and to support communities. This includes a commitment to pay suppliers in a timely manner and to ensure that our suppliers uphold our social values. This has included carbon literacy training for our own staff and suppliers to ensure we are working towards common goals of reducing waste and our carbon footprint. We are also supporting communities with the Fibrus Community Fund, which is hosted by the Cumbria Community Foundation. Our customer-facing staff are also trained in neurodiversity through the Just a Minute card scheme.
We are working with schools, colleges and universities to fulfil our ambitions for a graduate training programme and to offer work placements within our business. As part of the Hyperfast GB project, Fibrus, in conjunction with Viberoptix, has created a new apprenticeship training academy at the former Newton Rigg college site in Penrith. Fibrus have invested £50,000 to establish the new academy which will create a minimum of 90 apprentice roles over the next three years. Our first programme ran in September with 8 apprentices completing their training and gaining permanent employment at Viberoptix. A further cohort of 8 apprentices are currently being trained on the 6 week programme.
Carbon Literacy Training
We are delighted to have partnered with Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) who are delivering carbon literacy training for 150 Fibrus staff and contractors in Cumbria.
CAfS hold the prestigious title of Platinum Carbon Literate Organisation and the training covers carbon footprints, the impact of everyday actions on the environment, and the urgency of taking collective action to restore the delicate balance of our planet.
The goal of the partnership is to foster a greener, more sustainable community, alongside building partnerships, and extending the training to project partners.
Hazel Graham, Carbon Literacy Training Manager said: “Carbon literate employees understand the scale of the climate crisis and what to do about it – how it relates to them, at home or at work.
“They understand the need for, and the benefits of, an organisation’s climate strategy and how they can drive it forward in their role.
“They can confidently talk about the problem and the solutions and the benefits of taking action. They will tackle the climate crisis through informed decisions and practical actions, helping their organisation to truly have an impact on their carbon footprint.
Empowered with knowledge, staff have felt ‘motivated to take tangible steps towards emission reduction’.
For more information visit: Fibrus Partners with CAfS for Climate Change Training
