We have teamed up with the Community Foundation for Calderdale (CFFC) and are contributing to their grant scheme which supports charities and community organisations in Calderdale to reduce digital barriers to employment.
The investment from Quickline will be used to support initiatives specifically aimed at the reduction of digital barriers to employment in communities across Elland, Clifton, Hebden Bridge, Ripponden, and Sowerby Bridge.
Quickline is rolling out fast, reliable and affordable broadband to rural homes in these Calderdale communities as part of the UK government’s Project Gigabit programme. This collaboration with CCFC is a key component of Quickline’s social values commitments under the Project Gigabit contract awarded for West Yorkshire in 2024.
Steve Duncan, CEO of CFFC, explained: “Finding jobs and opportunities remains a challenge, especially for young people. At CFFC, one of our priorities is to help young people find meaningful employment so partnering with Quickline was a great opportunity to break down digital barriers to employment and connect young people with job opportunities.”
Tamara Butterworth, Quickline’s Social Values Lead in West Yorkshire, said: “At Quickline, we’re not just connecting communities to fast broadband, we’re connecting them to opportunities.
“Our partnership with the Community Foundation for Calderdale reflects our commitment to tackling unemployment and supporting those who need it most. We want to help build thriving communities in rural and hard-to-reach areas of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and working with CCFC is another step to creating brighter futures.”
In 2024 Yorkshire-based Quickline secured four contracts under the UK government’s Project Gigabit programme, which, on completion, will connect almost 170,000 homes and businesses to full-fibre broadband in hard-to-reach rural areas across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
As a result of the investment, Quickline will also expand their commercial network to a further 190,000 in these rural communities.
Discover more information about the Community Foundation for Calderdale. Follow Quickline on LinkedIn, you can discover how we are not only reducing digital barriers to employment but also positively impacting communities in many more ways.