Engineers from Openreach, who are actively engaged in building Openreach’s new full fibre network in the area, recently dedicated their time to enhance two overgrown footpaths in Humberstone Park, a popular park in Leicester.
Approximately 20 engineers volunteered their time to cut back overgrown vegetation, repair steps, lay down new gravel, and clear the area of debris. Openreach engineers are eligible to volunteer locally for up to three days annually, and they decided to contribute their time to this council-run park located in a bustling part of Leicester.
In addition to their efforts at Humberstone Park, Openreach engineers in the East Midlands have engaged in other volunteer activities recently, including tree planting in Sherwood Forest and rejuvenating a community garden in Shipley, Derbyshire.
This volunteer work coincides with Openreach’s achievement of reaching 40,000 homes and businesses across Leicestershire with full fibre broadband, representing an investment of more than £12 million.
Joe Mills, Openreach’s Programme Director, explained, “We’re working in the area to make full fibre available, and we’d noticed the huge amount of good work that already takes place. We got in touch with the parks department at the county council and volunteered our time for any good causes they knew of locally.”
He continued, “Humberstone Park is popular with residents, so we were pleased when they suggested we might be able to help with clearing two walkways, which had become overgrown. The whole team put a good shift in, and we had them cleared in no time. Full fibre is being made available in many parts of Leicester, so it’s worth local residents checking the fibre checker at openreach.com to see if our engineers have reached the area where you live.”
Under the guidance of Leicestershire County Council’s parks officer, Openreach engineers dedicated an entire day to clearing the overgrown pathways. Their experience working outdoors on the full fibre network proved valuable during this volunteer effort.
Full Fibre broadband, in addition to its speed, offers more reliable, resilient, and future-proof connectivity with fewer faults, consistent speeds, and the capacity to support multiple devices simultaneously. This technology is essential for enabling seamless streaming, smooth online gaming experiences, and business-critical tasks such as video calls and online banking.
Across Leicestershire, more than 40,000 premises can already access full fibre, and ongoing work in various towns and villages across the county aims to expand this coverage further. Openreach maintains a significant presence in the East Midlands, with over 1,600 individuals residing and working in the region.
