Wildlife Charity to Reach New Heights After Broadband Boost
Openreach’s chief engineers In Northumberland have stepped in to help a rural charity struggling to function due to slow broadband speeds.
The Pennines Wildlife & Rescue Sanctuary had been battling to get online since moving to their beautiful but very remote premises near Carrshield, in the foothills of the Pennines.
After countless visits to try to improve the existing copper infrastructure, the local Openreach chief engineers team decided that the only solution was an upgrade to Full Fibre broadband.
As well as upgrading the charity, nearly 80 other homes and business have also benefitted from the gruelling task, which included running more than eight kilometres of fibre optic cable through rugged countryside, with the team working mainly during the Winter months.
Tony Johnson, the charity’s founder, is ex-armed forces and suffers from PTSD. Living and working in such a remote location helps him to manage his condition while also doing what he loves most – helping animals and supporting wildlife.
He said: “This technology for us is lifechanging – that’s no exaggeration. Before the upgrade we would have to drive to the nearest 5G mast to look up things on our mobiles and it was quicker to drive to the nearest town (Hexham) 45 minutes away than attempt to download a file here.
“Faster broadband will help us raise our online profile which will also hopefully raise the numbers of donations we receive. Being able to post videos and bring to life what we do will hopefully encourage people to support us and enable us to help more animals.
“Most importantly though we can now instantly research care methods for different species of animals we rescue immediately without needing to leave the sanctuary. This is a game changer for the care we provide and how quickly we can give it.”
As well as helping injured wildlife and rescue animals Tony and his wide Ute, are committed to supporting local wildlife to thrive and work with the RSPB to boost native bird populations.
At last count they had nearly 50 different breeds of birds nesting on the land including hen harriers, barn owls, short eared owls and very rare Black Grouse.
Micheal Sowiak, Openreach’s Northumberland Fibre Build manager, said: “My team thrives on the challenges of working in one of the most rural corners of the UK but even by their standards this build was a huge task.
“They worked round the clock, taking advantage of some of the latest technology to reduce roadworks and minimise disruption to the local residents, finishing the job in record time.
“The entire team is genuinely happy we’ve been able to make it happen for Tony, Ute and the sanctuary.
“We’ve seen first-hand how hard they work and how tough life is for them – especially in Winter. Hopefully the broadband will go a long way in helping to alleviate some of the difficulties.
“As locations go this is about as rural as it gets in Northumberland so it’s a great achievement to get there, with the added bonus of upgrading nearly 80 other homes and businesses along the way.”
To find out more about the work of the Pennines Wildlife & Rescue Sanctuary or to make a donation please visit Pennines Wildlife Rescue & Sanctuary | Facebook.
For more information about the Openreach Full Fibre build in Northumberland - which has now reached more than 60,000 homes and businesses across the county - visit the Openreach fibre checker.
