Fibre providers as a force for community regeneration

Ogi’s brand has become synonymous with the community work it does in the areas it is building its network. As an endorsement of this, the altnet’s Cefnogi scheme won Best Community Support Project at the UK Fibre Awards 2023.

To understand the role altnets can in levelling up communities, aside from the provision of fibre, we talked to Head of Brand and Engagement Sarah Vining. She discusses the role of community support through an ethical and competitive lens, and gives examples of what Ogi is doing to differentiate itself from others.

What role can altnets have in levelling up communities?

Altnets are already playing an important role in the regeneration of our communities, beyond providing access to next-generation infrastructure. The obvious benefit is the potential that full fibre brings, giving people the opportunity to work and study from home, stimulating economic growth on a local level; with shops and businesses thriving; and not forgetting the opportunity to improve local services.

Beyond this of course, we enable a greater sense of social cohesion, empowering people through digital literacy programmes and supporting local initiatives like smart city projects. All of this contributes to more equitable and connected communities.

What is Ogi doing on this front and how is the ‘Cefnogi’ programme boosting community regeneration?

In 2022, led by the Community Liaison team (of three), Ogi established a community support fund, called ‘Cefnogi’ (meaning support in Welsh). Supporting everything from local Scots groups to warm spaces, women in business events, garden clearing and arts festivals, the scheme continues to grow in popularity as the cost-of-living crisis continues to have an impact.

We donate to the charities our staff choose and take part in thousands of volunteering hours each year. Teams across the business generally get excited about these projects – from painting garden sheds, to clearing hedges and supporting the local Scouts. We recruit for these values, and it’s embedded in the DNA of every member of the team.

The Cefnogi scheme has offered more than £35,000 to local groups and community projects with staff taking part in over 2,000 volunteering hours since the programme began in 2022.

Please discuss some specific success stories, where the fund has made a positive impact within a community

It’s hard to choose one, but Nightingale Community Garden in the Vale of Glamorgan has been a particularly memorable project. The gardens, set up to support people with learning disabilities, host a range of activities for visitors, and Ogi were asked to support the building of two new raised beds to support those using wheelchairs and mobility aids, together with the construction of a greenhouse made almost entirely of recycled plastic bottles. It was a fun, and wholesome, day out, with staff working side-by-side with users of the garden. Exactly the kind of thing that reminds you of the impact we’re having – without a wifi connection in sight!

Do altnets have a moral obligation to provide wider support to the communities where they engage?

I’d argue that every business has a moral obligation to support the communities it serves. Even more so when times get tough. After all, they are often home to their staff and customers, so why wouldn’t they want to give something back? For Ogi, community engagement and support is fundamental to our identity and purpose, but most altnets will have social, environmental and ethical obligations. We all play a significant role in enhancing digital connectivity, helping to bridge the digital divide and engage in socially responsible initiatives, such as supporting local education and digital literacy programmes. 

Is there a competitive benefit in providing community support?

Yes definitely - initiatives like Cefnogi support Ogi's reputation and credibility and leads to a competitive advantage in terms of increased customer loyalty and sales. However, it’s important to us, and our investors, that we approach social and environmental responsibility with a genuine commitment, rather than just for financial gain. Supporting our communities drives innovation, improves employee satisfaction and productivity, and ensures we’re more resilient as a business. 

Can you discuss the latest development, Ogi’s charitable fund?

Building on the success of the outward-facing scheme, and working with our staff, we agreed that affording staff the same flexibility would work better than adopting the more traditional corporate ‘charity of the year’ model.

Staff are encouraged to fundraise for their chosen organisations instead of a single corporately nominated charity. Employees can apply for support to cover cost such as event entry fees, with the first £100 towards and individual’s fundraising drive also offered by the businesses.

With so many of our staff wanting to take part in fundraising challenges or support charities in other ways – like through volunteering – it made sense to bring it all under one banner. We’ve already seen staff put themselves forward for 10K runs, cycling challenges and volunteering with a range of community clubs and groups.

Do you think other altnets are doing enough to bring positive benefits to their rollout communities?

We recognised early on that any build would cause some disruption and wanted to help mitigate this as best we could, and we’re going a fair way to addressing that. But the big challenge – for all of us altnets as we mature as businesses - is to address the digital inclusion agenda. We need to work collectively to get people excited about technology and the potential that tech offers. I mean there’s so much to pique people’s interest, like IoT and smarter living. We have a duty to shift perceptions and showcase how technology is improving lives and solving problems.