Openreach engineers come together for ultrafast coastal clean up

Openreach engineers up and down the country have been taking action to help clean Welsh beaches and lakesides.

In a positive display of community commitment, nearly 100 Openreach engineers have volunteered their time over the last month to support Welsh communities make our beaches and lakesides cleaner and greener.

The hard working volunteers, who during the day job help keep Welsh communities connected by building and maintaining Openreach’s ultrafast full fibre network, have already collected more than 60 bags of rubbish as a result of their efforts.

In total the volunteers have already swapped their hard hats and ladders for bin bags to help clean six locations – Borth; Southerndown; Lakeside-way, Brynmawr; Llansteffan; Porthcawl and Llanberis.

Shaun White, Senior Area Manager for Openreach in Wales, expressed his pride in the engineers’ voluntary actions, saying, “Our engineers are not just dedicated to providing top-notch ultrafast broadband services; they’re also committed to making a positive difference in the communities they live and work in. We are thrilled to see them dedicating their time and energy to keep Welsh beaches clean and beautiful.

“The beach clean-up initiative reflects Openreach’s larger commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. By volunteering their time to pick up litter, Openreach engineers are not only helping to maintain the natural beauty of Wales but also demonstrating our commitment to environmental conservation and community well-being while contributing to the global effort to reduce plastic pollution.”

Brian Mogford, Local Environment Technical Officer for Carmarthenshire Council said“It was a pleasure seeing the volunteers working so hard to help clean Llansteffan beach. The Openreach volunteers removed thousands of small pieces of plastic and nylon rope among other items, not an easy task.  A fantastic effort by all and will have made a huge difference to marine life for sure.”

Openreach is committed to corporate social responsibility, actively engaging in initiatives that support local causes and organizations.

Openreach engineers can volunteer locally for three days every year and by encouraging employees to participate in charitable activities, the company aims to foster a culture of giving back and making a difference in the communities it serves.

With more than 29,000 commercial vehicles, Openreach operates the second largest fleet in the UK. The business is already looking to phase-out diesel vehicles by replacing them with electric vehicles (EVs) at end-of-life with the ambition of converting its entire fleet to EV by 2030.

Openreach has also updated its packaging policy which now requires its suppliers to minimise packaging and convert all remaining packaging to recyclable, reusable and “made from recycled content”. As a result this has already saved a hefty 64 tonnes of waste from the supply chain.

About Openreach in Wales

With a workforce of around 2,300 in Wales, Openreach already employs the nation’s largest team of telecoms engineers and professionals.

Recent research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) highlighted the clear economic benefits of connecting everyone in Wales to full fibre. It estimated this would create a £2 billion boost to the Welsh economy.

This short video explains what Full Fibre technology is and you can find out more about our Fibre First programme, latest availability and local plans here.