Rural broadband provider Quickline Communications is doing more than connecting homes – it’s transforming communities.
Over the last academic year, more than 10,000 students have taken part in STEM and digital skills workshops, over £450,000 has been invested in bursaries and community programmes, and hundreds of jobseekers have been supported into work.
From digital inclusion to career inspiration, Quickline is proving that broadband can deliver real, measurable social impact.
The full scale of this activity is detailed in Quickline’s new Social Value Impact Report 2024/25, which captures the measurable difference the company is making.
The report records thousands of hours of engagement, hundreds of events and initiatives and an expanding network of partnerships – all contributing to Quickline’s wider mission of ensuring that no community is left behind.
Highlights include:
- 10,000+ students engaged in STEM, digital skills and online safety workshops
- £450,000+ invested in bursaries, grants, and community programmes
- 80+ laptops and tablets have been donated to support digital inclusion
- Hundreds of people supported through apprenticeships, accredited training and work experience.
As one of the UK Government’s largest Project Gigabit partners, Quickline is delivering four contracts that will connect some 170,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. But its social mission goes far beyond infrastructure.
Villages are gaining digital hubs, schools are inspiring the next generation of engineers and families are gaining access to the devices and skills they need to thrive in a connected world.
Across its four Project Gigabit regions – West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and East Riding & Lincolnshire – Quickline has reached tens of thousands of individuals, schools, charities and local organisations.
Highlights include delivery of online safety education with over 2,000 primary school children and 3,000 parents in North Yorkshire learning about cyberbullying, online safety and digital wellbeing through the Barney and Echo ‘Caught in the Web’ project.
In Lincolnshire, £166,000 has been awarded in bursaries to help students from underrepresented backgrounds access higher-level STEM education through the Lincolnshire Institute of Technology (IoT).
In South Yorkshire, residents have gained confidence and employment opportunities thanks to professional clothing and coaching via Quickline’s partnership with Suit Works.
More than 80 laptops and tablets have been donated to families and jobseekers, ensuring rural communities can fully participate in the digital world.
And future talent across the whole of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire has been inspired through programmes like Tech She Can, Run With It and Ahead Partnership which are giving students hands-on experience and exposure to real-world tech and engineering careers.
Partners have praised Quickline’s commitment to education and inclusion.
Jennifer Vincent, Director of Business Engagement at Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire, said: “Quickline are true advocates for young people. Students now understand telecoms careers and the routes into them, thanks to Quickline’s engagement and support.”
Rachel Oates, Engagement and Communications Manager for the Community Foundation for Calderdale in West Yorkshire, a beneficiary of Quickline’s ‘QFutures funding’, said: “They have funded groups breaking down digital exclusion. It’s not just about learning how to get online, book a doctor’s appointment or pay a bill, it’s about changing lives.”
Sarah Lilleyman-Hall, Quickline’s Social Values and Events Manager, said: “Connecting communities is about more than broadband, it’s about investing in people, creating opportunities and inspiring confidence.
“Whether it’s a child discovering coding or a jobseeker landing their first interview, these are the moments that matter. That’s the true meaning of connection.”
Quickline’s broadband rollout and social impact work are advancing side by side, ensuring that rural connectivity delivers not just speed, but opportunity, fairness, andgrowth.
With thousands more homes and businesses set to be connected, the company’s commitment to rural communities shows no signs of slowing.